Project Cyan
by PSI KiwiPhoenix
Summary: After the defeat of the Pigmask Army, Lucas tries to go back to an average life. But after the events that have transpired, it seems like nothing will be the same. On top of this, he is becoming stronger and must learn to control his new power in order to stop another threat on Nowhere Islands. Then he receives a strange invitation to a fighting tournament he has never heard of...
1. A Walk on the Beach

Chapter 1: A Walk on the Beach

The gentle sea breeze passed over the coast of the Nowhere Islands. The mist that drifted in the air had obscured the rising sun and allowed only the sounds of the waves to make themselves known. Cerulean Beach, where the citizens of Tazmily Village once visited and a place where it was once a big tourist attraction, almost seemed abandoned as if not a soul had set foot on its fine sand for years. Very few still tread this beach and rarely anyone entered this early in the morning the exception being one boy and his dog.

This boy wore a striped red and yellow shirt with matching color sneakers. He had white socks that went halfway up to his knees and dark blue denim shorts. His most curious and unique feature was the way he styled his blond hair, which was usually combed to the right side of his head in a pompadour and ended in a pointed quiff. This style was not entirely his choice since he could only work with it so much and it took on this natural shape. His dog was a chocolate labrador that had an orange bandanna tied around his neck.

One would wonder whether he was cold or not since the mist alone would have been enough to make it seem like one's cheeks were slapped red, but the cold did not bother him. He hardly noticed it considering he had once hiked up to the pinnacle of Snow Capped Mountain wearing nothing but the same attire. He had visited that mountain on more than one occasion since then and had never worn appropriate clothing. But that didn't mean his body was insensible and wasn't affected by the weather. He still hid his hands in his pockets for warmth. What he encountered there was enough to make his adrenaline rise and was the reason that he did not need to worry about being cold. He had grown accustomed to different climates.

As he walked along the shoreline, his sneakers leaving zig-zag pattern shoe prints behind him in the sand with every step, something that seemed round and smooth buried in the sand caught his attention. It was a little ways ahead of him and continuing at the same pace, he walked up to it. He stopped right when the object was in front of him. Not wanting to remove his hands from within his pockets, he kicked the object gently enough to flip it over and out of the sand. Just as he thought, it was a Dolphin Ossicle. His dog cautiously tilted his head downward sniffed it, then gave his tail a wag and looked up at the boy. He saw the boy's stern face which was not the expression he was expecting from his owner. The dog was confused. He walked with his owner hundreds of times on this beach and not once had he ignored a dolphin ossicle when he found one. He would have picked it up and put it in his pocket to add to his collection. It had been months since they had last seen one wash up on shore which made it more of a reason to pick it up immediately.

The blond looked up and continued walking, leaving the dog beside their finding. Seeing that his owner had not picked up the small bone, the chocolate lab picked it up instead. As if the boy had eyes in the back of his head, he paused and without turning around muttered, "Leave it." Now he was more confused than before and gave a quiet whine of objection as he tilted his head to the side. This made the boy turn around and with a louder voice said, "Drop it Boney." Hearing his name, spoken with a drop of venom made the lab feel uneasy and he obediently set the cream colored bone down gently on the sand.

The boy sensed this emotion coming from his dog and had immediately regretted his tone. He had no intention of sending that negative vibe and had his reasons for leaving the beach untouched. He knew people would begin settling down again and would return to this beach leaving a trail of belongings and litter behind them. He wanted to preserve its natural state for as long as possible before this happened. Leaving his footprints down didn't matter knowing the waves would comb them away. But he wasn't about to take anything from its sand. He wanted to find it just the way it was before it was touched by human beings the next time he returned.

This idea bothered him and he continued pondering it until another thought returned as the main subject in his mind. It was the reason he decided to leave home so early in the morning without letting his father know where he went. Not that he cared anyway. He had an unsettling dream of some sort but details of it escaped him. He woke up in a cold sweat panting heavily and had felt feverish and sick to his stomach. Eventually when he got out of bed, he ran outside and heaved on the bushes next to the sheep pen. He did not want to be sick in his house. His father was still doing some repairs in their home. As he took steady steps, it troubled him that he could not remember the reason for why he had woken up with a start. He knew it was a very unsteady dream but not bad enough to be a nightmare. There were those night terrors that would wake him up sometimes about the islands collapsing and that he had woken up to often but had never resulted in feeling _this specific_ fever. Nor were they this disturbing.

Usually, there was not a cure for these types of fevers. The best he could do was walk them off. The hot-springs scattered around the islands worked wonders and could cure any ailment but for some odd reason, could not help him overcome his fevers. Another question was why he had gotten a fever in the first place. A fever of this caliber meant only one thing. . . And he thought it would not be possible since everything had been calm for the past four months and he had not been required to fight. Fighting lead to gaining experience in battles which in turn, helped him realize new abilities. These abilities were followed by overcoming the same type of fever he had now. Was it possible to become aware of more powers without doing anything? He hadn't used them recently in the slightest knowing that his father along with many others of his village did not feel comfortable being around him when he did perform them. He thought that after he had pulled the final Needle, he had reached his maximum potential. The power that flows through the islands of this earth had combined with his own power and heart. But was there more to his abilities? He made a mental note to ask the Princess later.

He made his way down the beach, his nausea beginning to settle down but a headache took its place. He stopped and looked to the ocean hoping that it would relax him. Through the dense fog, he was able to make out the circle that was the rising sun. Boney had caught up and sat down beside him. The boy felt slight concern emanating from his loyal companion. Not wanting to speak out with his voice for fear of losing the tranquility that hung in the air, the blond let his thoughts echo, _I'll be okay._ The brown dog seemed to understand but it did not lighten up his feelings. He had sensed that something was troubling the boy in the last few days. He pulled his ears down with a silent whine and turned to the direction of the ocean.

They looked at the calm waves together, watching as the pebbles were pushed to the beach and out of the water with every wave. Now and then, a sea shell would wash up. He let his eyes close trying to allow himself to relax. He could hear the seagulls cawing above him, and made out the term "fish" and "water". Sometimes it was difficult to understand what those avians meant to say seeing from experience they were not the cleverest of birds. He recalled once trying to get directions from one of them and the bird completely went off topic ranting about how much he disliked pelicans. He couldn't get the bird to go back to the subject. The boy had found it quite humorous and was unable to get a proper answer from the bird. He learned his lesson the hard way that day and made sure that if he was going to get advice from birds, it would have to be sparrows. He stuck to asking sparrows for advice from then on. This memory made him smile and Boney noticed. His ears perked up and he jumped on the boy, knocking him down onto the sand and began to lick his face.

"Ha ha, Boney stop!"

"Ruff rruuff rrowwoof!" Which the boy translated to, (Too late, you're smiling!)

"A-alright s-stop, stop! Get off!" he said through his laughing as he pushed the chocolate lab off of him.

He didn't want to admit it but this did make him feel better. He sat up, shook off the sand from his hair and looked into Boney's playful eyes. Their eyes deadlocked onto each other and seemed like the start of an unofficial staring contest. As the blond's eyes began narrowing, a low rumbling sound emitting from his stomach broke their tense stare.

"Waaooffrroww? (Omelets?)

"Hey I'm supposed to be the mind reader here!" He joked. Clutching his stomach, he stood up before a larger wave reached him. He had made it just before it splashed inches from where he had been laying. Standing up made him realize that his stomach was completely empty seeing that he had been sick on the bushes just outside of his house.

By showing one small smile, he allowed his dog to find a weak spot on his serious barrier. Boney always found a way to cheer him up. This had also allowed the headache to diminish slightly though he still felt the intensity of his fever. There was nothing he could do about it so he just had to wait it out and allow it to pass.

But there was something he could do about hunger and Boney had given him the idea. His furry friend was right about the choice of food and it had been a while since he had made any. It was decided, he was going to prepare omelets! They walked off of the beach together and the boy asked, "Any idea where we can get some Fresh Eggs?" He knew Thomas's store was not open this early in the morning so he had to find and alternative way to get his ingredients. The canine tilted his head to the side as he pondered then finally responded, "Woof rufff rowff?"

"Sunshine Forest? Well we haven't been there in a while maybe-oh wait the hot-spring! Maybe _she_ is still there!" The boy had the urge to run straight into the forest. "You're right Boney, let's go!" He turned around and started running only to suddenly stop and put his hand over his forehead to wipe the sweat off as he panted heavily. He placed his other hand over his knee for support. His vision grew blurry so he shut his eyes tightly and moaned, "Aww this fever!" He opened one eye to look at his dog. "Looks like we have to walk all the way there buddy." He gave him a weak smile and a pat on the head. Boney took off his handkerchief that was around his neck and offered it to the boy with his tail wagging. The boy took it and tied it back around Boney's neck. "Thanks for the o-offer but I-I'm good." He straightened himself and continued onward, with the brown dog close behind.

They headed to the center of town to find the route to the forest entrance; the fog was beginning to clear up. The sun rose higher and now seemed to shine yellow instead if the darker orange form before and seemed it was closer to a golden yellow. They went northwest to the entrance of the forest. It had been weeks since they had ventured out in there. The Princess of Osohe Castle had sent him on a scouting mission just on the fringe of the forest. Villagers had reported suspicious activity related to some unimaginable creatures. These semi-organic animals seemed they were the product of some sick child's imagination. Some were made up of two or more animals and sometimes would be combined with machine parts or plants. They were known as Chimeras and were the product of the Pigmask Army meddling with the peaceful creatures of the forest. They were all thought to have been driven away after the. . . Event . . . As long as he had searched for they found no evidence of any creatures in the area. The forest had never been the same since.

These Chimeras were extremely dangerous and would unwillingly attack any civilian they would cross paths with. Fortunately there had not been victims of attacks since they ended the plans of the army. If there was a dangerous situation, it wasn't anything the blond young boy couldn't handle. He had faced tougher opponents in the past even without using his trusty stick.

The duo found the path that lead to the forest and proceeded with caution; they had to be wary in case anything would ambush them, this was more out of habit. Depending on the enemy, some would sneak up behind them or go for a frontal assault. Having a fever meant the boy would not run past them. He actually found satisfaction and fun to charge and bash into enemies. There was something about causing slight trouble that he found enjoyable like the time he vandalized sign to say, "Hot dog" instead of the word "dog" on its own. It was something that his brother would have done and in performing these actions, made the blond think of him. As they walked to their destination, to their right was the Prayer Sanctuary which was rebuilt after. . . He could see just above the entrance was a symbol that appeared to be two dragons, a black and white one, forming a circle. Both seemed to be after one another's tail in an infinite loop. He stopped just a few feet in front of the entrance and looked at the symbol now having a better understanding of what it represented. He looked more towards the black dragon some distant words echoing in his mind. Boney at his side snapped him out of his stare by tugging on his shirt and growling. "Oh right, sorry." He turned and followed the path with Boney leading the way, not wanting to turn back.

They had reached their destination; Sunshine Forest though the name was ironic now, there didn't seem to be any sun. What was once a peaceful forest had become barren with seemingly no sign of life and the life that previously inhabited it was artificial. The atmosphere was somewhat eerie as there was still quite a bit of fog in the forest. Considering the slight possibility of Chimeras still lurking around instead of the peaceful forest creatures made the title seem less fitting. They were not headed deep in the forest, just a ways into the entrance. The two passed a large wood archway and turned left. They saw the remains of an abandoned house that once belonged to a man from the village named Isaac. He had not left his humble abode because of the . . . But before these events when he said he joined the Pigmask Army. Isaac was one of the few who lived in the forest at the time and he would provide antidotes free of charge to treat snake bites if anyone needed them. That was no longer an option for those who entered and would find themselves in trouble if they had been poisoned. The small sturdy house that consisted of a single room had now begun to decay and wild plants now covered much of the exterior. If one were to look closely, a sign that was hardly readable was still in place on the door; a final message of farewell from the owner.

Just ahead was their destination. A sign with a familiar symbol greeted them; the hot-spring closest to the village. They had used them so many times before for relief. When one entered its hot water, it was as if all of their troubles had been washed away. The hot-spring that was located here was covered by a canopy and it made it seem like a sauna. The trees seemed to create natural walls around this clear area. It was hard to breathe the thick air upon entering and the dense fog made it so it was difficult to navigate. One could understand why Isaac had chosen to live around here. The boy was not here to enter the hot-spring though. Besides the fever, nothing seemed to be ailing him anymore so he thought he would skip a dip in the hot-spring and focus on the reason he came all the way here. He went over to the other side across from the warm pool of water and called into the trees.

"Hello, is anyone home?" He waited a minute for a reply. When there was none, he said, "Hello. . ? Hmm maybe she doesn't live here anymore Boney." He looked down to his dog who was sitting down waiting patiently. "Hm I guess we tried, let's go back Boney, we will have to wait until Thomas's store opens to see if we can get what we need." The brown dog barked in agreement. As they turned around, they heard the sound of leaves rustling wildly. They both jumped back and readied themselves for what was to come.

"Bok bok bokAACK! (Who keeps screaming this early in the morning? I gotta catch up on my sleep ya know!)

"Oh I'm sorry, I thought you were usually awake at this time."

(Not today Mister! I have been busy, busy for the past two days. Even an old hen has got things to do!)

A head popped out of the rustling leaves in the tree. It was covered in white feathers which were fluffed up. The boy felt irritation among other emotions. The head belonged to a snow-white chicken whose crest was flushed red. It could have been because of anger but it was difficult to tell.

"Cluck boook bok bok." (Hey you're that boy who-was-it, Ryu-ka or something.) She said as she hopped down from a branch flapping her wings quickly to land easy.

"Actually Mrs. Kokko, My name's Lu-"

(Wait, wait don't tell me! Now I know that I remember your name. It's on the tip of my beak. Lu. . . Lu. . . Lucius! No that's not it. Lu. . .)

He waited patiently and gave the bird some time to think it out. What was that again about being cautious when speaking with birds?

(Lu . . . Lu. . . Oh I give up!)

"It's alright Mrs. Kokko I'll tell you. My name's Luca-"

"BOCKaa Bok!" (LUCAS! See I knew I'd remember! My memory is as good as ever! I'm not the one to give up so easy!)

_But __I just basically told you my name_ he thought to himself. He allowed Boney to hear this thought.

(So what brings you here this morning that you had to wake me up so early from my beauty sleep huh Lucy? You know it takes a lot of work for my feathers to look this good.) She said this with sass in her tone.

Lucas put his hands together and fidgeted with his fingers. Even if he was speaking with a chicken, he was still timid. He did not expect the hen to react this way. "Well, I was wondering if you had any Fresh Eggs. Remember you said I could come by any time and ask you for some."

"Cluck cluck bock boACK!" (Of course I remember! I wouldn't forget!) Though she said this, she indeed had forgotten and Lucas just reminded her that she actually DID say this before on many occasions. (Sometimes I'm stuck with so many eggs I don't know what to do with them. Make sure you come more often to take them. You haven't visited in a while. Had you forgotten about me?)

"Honestly, I thought that you might have moved away. I wasn't planning on coming this morning but Boney reminded me." He looked beside him seeing that Boney had begun to wag his tail at the mention of his name.

"Cluuckcluck bok bock boaak baak bok!" (No I don't plan on leaving! I like it here. It's much more peaceful then living next to that old factory where those strange Pig-faced fellows use to be. And it's a lot quieter too. That place was so noisy and I never knew what they were up to. It was also quite odd, and they are one of the reasons I decided to move over here. Though I do miss that old hot-spring, but this one is quite nice.)

"Oh okay that's good to know. . . " He paused for a bit looking down and away from her before continuing. "So um about the-"

(Eggs! Of course! Just give me a minute to collect them.) She turned around and hopped back into the tree. From somewhere in the leaves he heard her say, (So, nice bed-head. Were you in a rush to come pay me a visit that you forgot to comb it?)

"H-huh? W-what!?" He put his hands onto his hair and patted his head. He felt strands sticking out in odd places and (besides the fever) he felt his face turn hotter. He had gone outside in such a rush this morning; it had not crossed his mind that he did not fix it. This never happened. His mother had taught him good manners one of which was to always leave the house ready for the day. She was always the one to help him when he was younger. But when she passed, he took it upon himself to never forget. He took pride in his hair and even though the old hen was teasing him, he took this deeply into offense.

"I-I'm s-sorry!" He ran his fingers through his hair quickly to settle it down.

As he attempted to adjust his hair, the chicken emerged from her nest in the tree, using her beak and holding on to the eggs that she had bundled in leaves. She was careful on her way down and set the bundle in the ground before saying, (Relax Luke, I was only teasing ya.) she felt the need to say something seeing that her comment made him frantic. (You seem stressed kid, and not just because of your hair. Why don't you take a dip in that hot-spring behind you.) She used her wing to point in said direction.

Lucas, while still adjusting his hair replied, "I-I can't. I have to get back home quick. I don't want to worry my dad. He might have woken up and is wondering where I am." His father was understanding and was not very attentive towards his son. The blond just wanted an excuse to leave as soon as possible, knowing that the hen would not stop talking if he let her be.

(What? Your old man should learn to be more considerate I mean you're like ten right? You're old enough to be out and about on your own.)

Lucas put his hands down by his sides and sighed deeply in defeat. He knew he could not get his locks looking right without using a comb. There were large bundles of hair in the wrong place but he was able to alter it somewhat. "I'm thirteen." Again feeling a bit insulted. But he couldn't blame her. His profile was young and many made that same mistake.

(That's more of a reason! I'm confident that you are able to do your own thing without your father holding your hand all the time, you can do it Lucky!) She winked at him and pulled her beak into a smile to the right of her face.

"Oh, well uh thanks. But I'm not so sure myself. I'm always doing fine because I have my friends around me like Boney." He accepted her words of encouragement. He thought she said this to make up for the comments she had said before. She may have a blabber beak, but her heart was in the right place.

(Come on son, you have to believe in yourself. I mean friends are great to have around for support but there will be times when you will have to get out there and fend for yourself and the way to start out is to feel confident in your own abilities!)

_Yeah, confidence. _This word lingered in his mind and brought a worried smile to his face. This word again reminded him of his lost brother. . . His smile began to fade and his face took on a temporary soulless look. The look when someone has recently lost a family member and has had their family torn apart. The harm that the army had brought didn't affect many but his family unfortunately was the one with the most victims. He felt tears forming in his eyes but he was not going to allow himself to cry again. He used his right forearm and put it over his eyes to cover his face and held back his tears. He did not want his father to know that he had been upset again. He wanted to be strong like his brother had been and this was how his father preferred it. But he felt that he could not compare to him. Though they had been twins, they were dissimilar in personality. Confidence was not his strong point.

(Oh I'm sorry if I said something that offended you. Oh man I gotta learn when to shut up! Tsk, tsk, tsk.) She closed her eyes, shook her head and put her wings at her sides.

"N-no it wasn't your fault! You just said something that reminded me of-" He put his arm down, shut his eyes and shook his head to regain his composure. "Well I need to get going." He put on a fake smile hopping to convince her that he would be alright.

(No sir, you can't fool me with that smile. Now I know some things are troubling you but I've yapped on long enough. If you ever decide to talk about it, I'll be here. Now don't get discouraged about coming because I might prod. I promise you that I won't put my beak where it doesn't belong. I still want you to come back to take these eggs off of my hands, well wings I mean. Speaking of which-) She turned and picked up the bundle that she had set down and handed it to the sensitive boy. (Here ya go! After a nutritious breakfast-with my eggs of course-I'm sure you'll feel a lot better!)

He took the bunch and held it with both hands being gentle for fear of cracking them. "Thank y-you." he managed to say and bowed his head slightly. As he started to turn, he stopped himself to face her once more. "Sorry again for disturb-"

"Bock Bock BocAACK!" (Stop apologizing kid! Its not really a big deal. I had to get up eventually 'cause I got things to do. I'll sleep in tomorrow.)

As he nodded and turned around she whispered to Boney, (Make sure you take care of him alright doggy?)

Boney panted and waged his tail in affirmation. As they began to exit, she spoke out one last time. (Oh yeah and kid, watch yourself as you leave the forest. The other day I thought I saw a handsome rooster fellow in the bushes. As I went over to flirt with him, he _hissed_ and jumped right at me. Turns out it was a Slitherhen!)

At this, Lucas stopped and with a serious expression, turned to look at her. It was as if his face had completely reset not showing a trace of his previous emotional state. She felt his gaze pierce her body as foreign _energy_ penetrated and went right through her. This energy was not specifically directed at her and seemed to go in all directions because Boney had felt it too. She felt her feathers quiver but she continued.

(He tried to coil around me but I jumped so high, I basically flew into the branches. He then went after me like he was in a mad cock fight, zig-zagging all over the place. Of course he was not match for my razor sharp talons and I was able to fight him off.)

She sounded very sure of herself though there was a hint of worry in her aura which Lucas managed to pick up. In a firm tone he had to ask, "Where _exactly_ did you encounter it?"

(Well I don't remember _specifically _but it was more of a ways in the forest, almost coming to the edge of the mountains. After that incident I made sure to be more careful. If he had gotten me in a bad mood, I would have tried to claw his eyes out but lucky for him, they were too gorgeous.)

The boy's thoughts were scattered after this news but he had to assure her that he would look into it. "I'm bringing this to the attention of the Princess. Thanks for letting me know. Let's go Boney, we have to be on our way." He remained steadfast in his tone and walked briskly out of Kokori Hot-Spring, Boney trailing behind.

He left Mrs. Kokko looking confused as though she was missing some information on the subject. (That boy can be bold if the situation calls for it. That energy when he looked at me caught me off guard though. It was as if the atmospheric pressure increased in here. Maybe I was just imagining it. There must be some things he didn't tell me about the Slitherhen.) She wondered what all that seriousness was about then remembered she had things to do. (Well might as well get a head start in today's work.) She returned to her nest by hopping on the branches, hoping to take care of business.

The boy named Lucas followed the path back to town thinking about what the hen had just told him. He knew about the different kinds of Chimeras found in the forest and Slitherhens were the nonthreatening kind; to him at least. Any other citizen would need assistance to tackle even the most mildest of Chimeras because lack of knowledge. Some had specific attack patterns that he was all too familiar with. Slitherhens had the head of a chicken and body of a snake. Luckily they were not venomous so no one had to get worried of becoming poisoned and Isaac being unavailable to provide antidotes. But if one Slitherhen appeared, there could be more. Encountering one meant there were reinforcements close by and soon one would find themselves quickly outnumbered and surrounded by a group. This is why it takes more than one member to take them on. He hoped to get this information to his friends so they could find the trouble instead of it finding a bystander. He made it a task to go later in the day to meet with the Princess of Osohe Castle. She would know where to begin.

He had the bundle of eggs in his arms and they were obscuring his view from where he was stepping. He was distracted about his plans for later that day that he did not see the upcoming tree root that was protruding from the ground. Often times he was clumsy and this moment was bad timing. As he took more steps onward, his right sneaker became caught on the tree root and his body felt the force of gravity. In a panicked state, he began to lunge forward as the eggs were launched in an upward trajectory. He knew he was going to be unable to catch them in time. As his face was about to meet the ground, he managed to extend his right arm. His hand began to glow in a yellow-whitish light. The bundle did the same. He used his _telekinetic _ability to stop the decent of the fragile eggs and they came to a full stop inches from the earth. Seeing that he had been holding his breath while this happened, he released it relieved that the eggs had not become scrambled yet. Using his _psychokinesis_, he pulled the bundle of eggs towards him and set them down on the firm ground. Then he released the mental grasp he had on them.

Boney advanced to his side worried about his owner's state. "That was too close. It's alright Boney, the Fresh Eggs are fine." He gave him a weak smile.

"Bark, bark, woooof!" (Nevermind that, what about you?)

"Aww come on buddy, we've fallen from greater heights, you know that!" He picked himself up, patted himself down and pulled the tree root from his shoe. He felt his knees and right elbow sting and when he looked, he saw two bad bloody scrapes, one on his knee and elbow. The other knee had a bruise forming. He hissed and said to himself, "I wasn't even running. How did I get cut so easily?" It was bad enough that he could not run and now if he did not take care of his injuries, he might have to limp home. He pulled his right index finger to his forehead and closed his eyes as he focused and allowed psionic energy to flow to his finger tip signaling the use of his PSI. "_Life up α."_ he muttered. He felt immediate relief to the affected areas. Both cuts had vanished and he showed no signs of bruising. He brushed the sweat form his forehead; the fever was not showing signs of going away. This was beginning to annoy him and had trouble concentrating his energy because of it.

"I have to stop tripping like that. One day it's gonna get me in big trouble."

Though this boy seemed normal on the outside, this only concealed his more prominent features. The type of abilities this extraordinary boy had was known as PSI which was another way to describe his psychic powers. These abilities ranged from user to user. For instance, Lucas had the ability to communicate with animals with ease by roughly reading their minds or scanning their thoughts. He could make them understand through his telepathy if using words was too difficult. He could also heal wounds or relieve certain status ailments. If he were to find himself in a pinch with an enemy, he had defensive options by setting up shields or counters against physical attackers or in rare cases, others who used PSI. He could increase his physical offense making his damage output something to be feared and raise his defense, making his body tougher to endure attacks. He had the ability to cause status effects on the enemy by using PK Flash. This attack consisted of concentrated light and had different levels of effects from causing uncontrollable crying or making the enemy's body numb to causing an instant knock out. But his most devastating assault that would leave his enemies awestruck was his signature PK Love attack. This ability was extremely rare even among psychics. He has known only one other person to possess this power. Nothing got passed this strike and it could decimate anything in its line of fire and unfortunately for his enemies it had much range. Like PK Flash, it had different levels of power. Because it was so dangerous, he restrained from using it and would only use it as a last resort. He did not have complete control of this power yet and if he lost control, he did not want to unintentionally hurt those around him.

Though having these substantial abilities did not come with its downs. He could only use them for so long before he would exert himself and if he used them too often, they would cause mental exhaustion and terrible headaches. What would perk him up was a good nap or a dip in the hot-spring. Sometimes having certain desserts would also rejuvenate his power. Some skills took more concentration than others and he had to know how to focus his energy for each one. One of the most vexatious traits about it was having to endure fevers when a new ability was going to awaken in him.

Another drawback was that he had to put up with constant ridicule from the Tazmily residence because of his power. They called him many things behind his back. They never dared to say anything directly at him but they didn't have to. They would _think_ it so loud in their minds so he was able to pick it up thanks to his _telepathic_ abilities and for him, it was basically like they were shouting it to the heavens. He never invaded anyone's mind on purpose. He had respect and believed they had their own right to privacy.

The young psychic could also pick up strong emotions from those around him. Usually if they showed discomfort uneasiness or angst or basically any strong emotion. If they were in a serious emotional state, he couldn't help but glance in their minds to find out the trouble. It was almost instinctual to help anyone who he felt was in danger. He was well natured and felt he needed to help those who could not or were unable to help themselves. He did possess awesome powers after all so why not use them to help others? Sometimes even if he tried to help, it would be without the approval of the individual he was aiding. Some could not comprehend his abilities and feared what they could do. Often times, this would cause them to feel uncomfortable when he was around.

What he felt discomfort most in was not that many did not approve of him—he couldn't care less what they thought—but that they felt more negative towards his family to the point they would question it. They saw them as being _different_ because they did not follow the social norms. His personal family was small, only consisting of his father and his dog. His grandfather would visit sometimes from the elder home. But the Princess and the Thief were more of his family now. This made them stand out unlike a "normal" family. But he did not mind it. He felt others just had to accept it.

They had reached the entrance of the forest and lucky for them, they had not run into any trouble. Even if the trees were partly obscuring the sky, the PSI user could now see sunlight through the thicket. Just ahead, was the path to town. As he exited the forest and came out of the shrouding trees, a gleam of light hit his body and he could feel the warmth of the sun's rays. He once again passed the Sanctuary but this time didn't pay attention to it. He wanted to get home as soon as possible and get started on making breakfast so he could get the intel to the Princess right after. Knowing the urgency of the information, he would not allow anything to stall him. He continued on, ignoring what might cause him to get distracted.


	2. Back Home

Chapter 2: Back Home

As he was on the main road and walked to the crossroads, Lucas noticed there was no one out yet. It couldn't have been that early could it? The sun was already out and usually the town was brimming with activity. The town was being reconstructed and some buildings were being remodeled while others were being built from the ground up. After he pulled the final Needle, the earthquakes began and the islands shook as there were typhoons in the ocean and meteors raining down from the sky onto the islands. All hell broke loose but it only affected the islands. All the people were safe as if some sort of mystical shield was place on them assuring they would not come to any harm. The world itself seemed to be rebuilt. As to the extent of it all, Lucas had no clue. He knew the people that had come from another time such as many of those who were in the city and some ex-Pigmasks were beginning to settle in other places around the islands. Because of the chaos that ensued, it called for a lot of construction and repairs.

He headed south to where the center of the village was, still not sensing a mind. Maybe it was better this way, so he wouldn't have to deal with uncomfortable stares or rude thoughts. Beyond that to the south was a small cottage overlooking the sea. He finally arrived back home. Approaching the front door, he was greeted by three sheep in their partly built sheep pen. His father had started on this project weeks ago but had not finished it. The pen was still missing the roof and door. The sheep were free to roam around the house. They knew where home was and would not stray too far. Unlike many of the buildings that had collapsed during the earthquakes, this pen had not been one of them. It was struck by lightning weeks prior. Not naturally occurring of course. It was the army's doing; targeting specific houses that had not obtained a "Happy Box". Everyone in town had already had one following what their friends had done, Lucas's house hold being one of the few that had no desire for one.

He reached a free hand to the shiny new doorknob, turned it, pushed the door slowly and quietly and went inside to find his father-not there? He must have left as early as Lucas had; typical. It wasn't really a surprise that he wasn't home.

The blond was going to get breakfast ready anyway. He set the bundle of eggs on the counter assuring they would not roll away. He had to do something important first before he began. He walked over to the mirror next to the fire place and looked at his reflection. Oh the shame! He was glad no one was out in town to see his bed head! The villagers could say anything they wanted about him and he wouldn't care, but if they said something about his hair, then they could do some serious damage to his already small ego. By trying to fix his hair, he felt that he had made it worse. There were locks in the wrong place which seemed like they had been forced there. He reached to the table and found the comb, which was usually on it, to be missing. He checked all around it and found nothing then opened the drawer. It was empty at first glance so he reached further to the back. He did not find his comb but two items in particular that made him pause. A scrap of red cloth from his mother's dress and his brother's cerulean shoes, carefully kept safely. He stared at them for a while.

Boney meanwhile was sniffing on the floor knowing what the boy was looking for. He had picked up the scent which led him underneath the table behind one of its legs. Bingo! He used his mouth and picked up the strange wooden object that had teeth and showed it to the blond. But, oh boy, he was just staring again. To get his attention, Boney whined and used his paws to scratch the boy's leg. It seemed to break him from his stare and he looked down at his brown furry companion.

"Oh there it is!" He didn't need to ask Boney where he found it. He glanced at a surface image in his mind and found his answer. "Thanks boy!" He patted the dog's head which Boney seemed to enjoy. Lucas shifted his eyes back to the drawer giving a despondent look at the two items. He carefully closed the drawer.

He went back to the mirror and began adjusting his hair back to his notorious quiff. His hair did not fight him as it took on this natural shape. He combed it upwards to the right side of his head and on his left side; he brought it outward, slightly covering his forehead. He combed the back part down so nothing was out of place. It did not stay to his liking so he continued to pass the comb over the area until his stomach gave a growling complaint telling him to hurry up.

_I guess it's good enough. _He set the comb down and analyzed his reflection. _Lookin' handsome_ his mother's words echoed in his mind. "There that's better. Alright Boney, let's get started!"

They went to the cabinets on the wall and Lucas pulled out cooking utensils; a frying pan, a mixing bowl, a whisk, a knife, a cutting board and a spatula. He had his ingredients already on the counter. Since his house wasn't completely "modernized" he used a grill over the area that was the stove. There were some small dry thin twigs they used as fire starters and he placed them under the grill. Now to start the fire. He looked around for matches or the spark rocks but they were not around. He shrugged, turned around to look at the front door to assure his dad wasn't about to walk in (he didn't like to see Lucas do what he was about to do) and pulled out his index finger. With difficulty, he summoned some white-hot PSI energy on the tip of his finger. Now the tricky part was to get the twigs hot enough to ignite them. Man he really needed to learn how to summon PK Fire, a type of pyrokinesis. It would have made it much easier.

Boney was watching since there was nothing he could help with at the moment. He was sitting down and used his hind leg to scratch an itch, being ready in case the boy needed him for something.

Once he got the fire started, he put the frying pan over the grill so it could begin to heat up. He took the cutting board and knife and finely chopped some onion and bell pepper. There was a bit of shredded cheese left in a container and he put it at the ready. Next he went over to the bundle of eggs and opened it. Wow Mrs. Kokko had been too generous with him. She had given him six Fresh Eggs! He took out three and put the rest away. Looks like he would have to make omelets for lunch too, seeing that he had more eggs. He wasn't going to complain. It was his favorite food after all. He cracked the eggs into the mixing bowl, sprinkled just the right amount of salt and pepper and mixed it using the whisk.

The pan was now hot enough so he found the jar of home-made butter and added some to the pan and watched as it melted. He poured some of the egg mixture onto it. He made a thin even layer of scrambled egg on the pan and waited for it to be ready to add the fillings and lifted up half of the cooked portion using the spatula to make sure it wasn't sticking to the pan. After, he put the fillings he had chopped on half of the omelet and sprinkled cheese and closed it. Once fully cooked, he had placed the omelet on the plate he had ready. He repeated the process two more times except one he made without fillings and finished cooking three omelets. He went to the dining table and set it down with a fork on the side. He poured himself a cup of lemonade he had made the day before. Boney saw that the young boy was finished and went to go fetch his doggy bowl.

Before Lucas sat down for breakfast, he got the doggy bowl from Boney and put the specific omelet he made for him. "Careful buddy, it's still pretty hot." Boney just wagged his tail and waited impatiently but listened to the warning. Whatever Lucas would eat, Boney would eat it too. Sometimes if there was dog food available in the store, Lucas would purchase some for him. Boney wasn't very picky when it came to what he ate and neither was Lucas.

During their adventure, there would be times when they had to eat what they were carrying with them. They didn't have the luxury of purchasing goods whenever they needed seeing that there were not many sellers. Venders weren't exactly around the corner or at the nearest tree waiting for customers. That meant if Lucas was carrying a Doggy Biscuit and he was hungry or low on energy, he would forcibly eat it. Using PSI was extremely energy consuming and on his adventure, he would have to use it all the time. They were really on edge and this only added to the struggle. Whenever there was the opportunity to eat something, they would take advantage of it no matter what the food was. But this didn't mean he was about to go and take a handful of Boney's dog food and call it lunch.

They both waited for over a minute before they started eating. It had taken a long time for Lucas to prepare omelets like his mother use to. He had tried many times when he was younger and he never really got the hang of it. When he was first beginning over three years ago, he would always burn the food or his hands and always found a way to mess something up. He had started to cry in frustration and give up but then stop himself, and wipe his tears away before trying again. His father was not attentive during this time. He was always going out to the mountains to search for his missing son and neglect Lucas. The blond young boy had to look after himself while only having the company of Boney. It was tougher for him back then. He had not awakened any of his abilities yet and he considered himself to be kind of a wimp. Others giving him the nick name, "crybaby". As hard as things got, he managed and got tougher as a result. Now he could accomplish amazing feats after enduring all of those hardships although people still remembered and refered him as the wimp that he was before.

By using trial and error and remembering what his mother had taught him, he was able to make the best omelets around. They were so good he could easily eat half a dozen when his body demanded it especially after using a lot of PSI energy, but only considered eating one at the moment. He had hardly used much of his power so he did not worry about needing to replenish his energy and also didn't know how his stomach would go about it and wanted to make sure his food would stay down. He wanted to assure he wouldn't become nauseous again before he ate the second one. The blond ate slowly, savoring every bite because this could be his only meal of the day if his body didn't accept the food.

Boney had almost completely wolfed down his food. Soon he saw that his bowl was empty so he looked at Lucas wanting more.

"Oh no, I already told you, you have to eat slower Boney! This is my omelet. You already ate yours!" His dog gave him and unhappy look, one that could only be brightened up with the presence of more food. Lucas couldn't ignore that look. "Okay fine, I'll give you half of this one, but you have to eat it slower 'cause I'm not going to give you more until later." Hearing this made the dog's ears perk up. "This one has fillings you might not like so I don't know if you'll eat it." He knew Boney ate everything but he still tried to discourage him from eating more. He didn't want to over feed his dog.

The lab happily accepted more food but took heed of the boy's words and ate the rest of his meal slower. When finished, he went over to his water bowl for a drink. Soon he heard footsteps approaching the front door. He looked up from his bowl and barked towards the entrance. His bark said, "Flint" which made Lucas look in that direction.

There was the sound of a doorknob turning and the door creaking open. In walked a tall man. He wore mostly different shades of brown, his pants being a dark brown while his vest was a lighter shade of the same color. He wore a pale yellow long-sleeve shirt under the vest and had a red bandanna around his neck. He wore heavy brown boots and over his head was a cowboy hat that obscured the top portion of his face in shadow and was, yep you guessed it, brown.

"Mmm smells great in here." he said as Boney rushed at him leaping by his legs.

"Oh m-morning dad. I was making breakfast. I was just about done eating; I could cook some omelets for you if you want." Lucas offered.

"No thanks son. I was just in town and got a quick bite at Thomas's store after I went over to Lighter's place for some lumber." He eyed the half of the omelet that was on Lucas's plate. "You made omelets? Where did you get the eggs? Thomas's store had just opened when I arrived there and the Bakery has not opened yet."

"Well there is a hen I know and I talked with her and she was nice enough to give some to me."

His father looked at him, doubt was showing on his face. It was still hard for him to believe that his son could communicate with animals. He didn't seem convinced so he questioned him further. " You know son, I have been hearing things from the town's folk that you have been taking things without permission. Is this true?"

This made Lucas stand up from his seat and lean his hands on the table. "What? N-no! I haven't done anything like that Dad. You know I wouldn't. Why would you believe them?" He objected, almost to the point of shouting.

"I don't believe them, I'm just telling you what I've heard. It doesn't please me that I keep hearing things like this from them."

"A lot of them don't like me so, it's no surprise they say and think these bad rumors about me."

"Yes you make a good point. Wait, _think_?"

Lucas swore internally. He had been caught looking into peoples' minds by his father. "I didn't exactly read their thoughts, just glanced at the idea they have on me whenever they see I'm around them. It's hard _not_ to pick it up."

"Lucas, you know it's not right to invade their private thoughts. You ought to be more careful with that. You'll hear things you should not hear."

"If it was so private, they wouldn't have thought it so loud." He muttered to himself as he fiddled with his fork. Flint seemed to hear the reply but ignored the statement. His son had the right to feel this way. It irritated Lucas that his father would even consider the gossip that went around town. The whole world knew what Lucas had done and it was easy to go pointing fingers at him for every little problem they had. Oh your house collapsed because of the earthquakes? That was because of Lucas's "magic" and the strange lot he finds himself with. Something missing from your garden? Lucas is known to take things that are often found on the ground and it is certain it was him.

Most of them had never even thanked him for saving their asses. They were unaware of the extent of the danger they were in and what Lucas and his friends had to go through to fix it all. He felt bad for thinking this way. What would his mother say? _No monumental deed needs praise because in your heart, you know it was the right thing to do._

"I'm sorry if it sounds like I'm accusing you of things son. I know you mean well. But when you say things like 'speaking with a hen' anyone will think it is not the truth. They will think you stole from someone and I don't want people believing you are a trouble maker or a thief."

"They all know what I can do Dad. They have also experienced crazy things too. They just don't want to believe it." He pushed his plate away. Suddenly he did not feel very hungry anymore. He wasn't mad at his father and appreciated that he was the only honest person to tell him what others thought even though he already knew. It was nice to hear someone actually say it. It did leave a sour taste in his mouth. He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest being upset at no one in particular.

"You are right, I can still hardly believe it all myself even after I have witnessed it first hand and with my own eyes. But I want you to remember Lucas, that the people of the village are simple folk and for them to get involved in matters otherwise will leave them confused and it won't do any good in trying to explain it all at the moment. Just please, try your best to act normal around them alright?"

There was that word again, _normal_. He was everything but this word. He did have the looks of a normal person. He could say that acting this way was nearly impossible. But he was able to pull it off pretty good, that way no one would be aware of his secret techniques; even though they were not a secret to most. But he could make it so they were uncommon and soon, some would be able to forget it all. The young psychic understood the reason behind his father's words and for the sake of it all, he would implement his advice more often. That or just stay out of people's way. These were his two options at the moment. He couldn't continue with the latter idea anymore. He had already shut himself from the rest of the town in the past.

Lucas sighed, and let his face relax, releasing his passive aggressiveness. He was not the person to stay angry to those who didn't know any better. He couldn't find anyone in the village to blame for all the trouble there had been. They all just had to live with the fact that it wasn't anyone's fault.

Flint saw the struggle on his son's face and told him some reassuring words. "Son, give 'em time. They are still pretty shaken up about the whole ordeal and all of the repairs they have been working on is a constant reminder of it. With time, they will begin to understand. Even though it is hard on you, just give them this chance."

After Lucas heard these words, a little spark of hope shone in the darkness. He didn't expect full acceptance, just tolerance was good enough for him. He was happy to finally have his father back after a long time of neglect. Their relationship was still shaky in some areas but he was still a caring father figure. It was nice to have someone else understand his problems and try to help find ways to make them better. Flint's last few statements got a small worried smile from the boy who looked to his father. "Alright dad, I'll keep trying."

"Thank you son." He knew this was not going to be easy for them but it was a start. For the sake of changing the subject he said, "So is there anything to drink? Thomas didn't have anything at the ready when I arrived in terms of drinks so I thought it would be easier if I waited until I got home." He took a seat across from Lucas at the table.

"Well there is some lemonade I made yesterday. Would you like some?"

"Please." His father replied. He removed his hat from over his head, revealing the rest of his face and his balding head. He was parched after carrying the lumber and other supplies from town. "After this, I need to finish repairing the roof from the leak and I'm finally going to be able to continue on that sheep's pen. I was hoping you could help me with the roof before you run off again."

Lucas had gotten up from the table to get his father something to drink. He found a glass cup in the cupboard and poured him some lemonade. They didn't have a refrigerator in their house so it was warm. Again he was thinking of a PSI ability he did not know how to summon known as PK Freeze a type of cryokinesis. He could have made the beverage cooler for his father so he could enjoy a cold drink. Though thinking again, his father wouldn't like the action performed on something he was about to consume. He might think something was wrong with it.

As he handed his father the glass, he answered, "Yeah, I can help." He wanted to head out immediately after breakfast to speak with the princess but now knowing that his father needed his help, the reunion would have to wait. If there was an opportunity he could spend with his father that didn't feel awkward, he would take it. Also he was taking a step into "normality". What could be more ordinary than a boy spending time with his father to repair the roof?

"Good, when you are done with breakfast, I'll be waiting outside." He set the glass down when he finished, stood up, put his hat back on and walked out the door. Lucas sat down and drank the rest of his lemonade. He was feeling better overall; his irritation had dissipated. He thought he should not have abandoned the rest of his omelet because of what had just happened and now it was cold. But he was still able to finish it before heading outside. He didn't think there could be any amount of anger that could make him skip his favorite food. He finished eating and cleaned the cooking utensils and dishes before he joined his father.

Once he stepped outdoors, he saw the wheelbarrow that had the supplies his father had hauled. He must have borrowed it from Bronson. He found Flint preparing the necessary tools and setting them on the outdoor table. He saw that Lucas had emerged from inside.

"Son can you empty the wheelbarrow? You can set the materials by the sheep's pen." He went behind the house to pull out the ladder.

Lucas nodded and began removing the lumber from the wheelbarrow being careful about the splinters. Lighter was the one in charge of getting fresh wood used as building materials for the citizens of the town. He was hard to miss considering he was always hauling a four-by-four over his shoulder which Lucas didn't know the reason for. His son Fuel was Lucas's friend though he hadn't talked to him in sometime. They were really close friends before, back when times were simpler. He had not had time to hang out with Fuel since before his adventure.

Fuel liked Lucas's father mostly because he had once saved him from their burning home in Sunshine Forest. Lighter was eternally grateful for that heroic act and was close friends with Flint. Once upon a time, Flint had been the Village Hero. When there was a problem in town, people would come to him for assistance and Flint would always find a way to help. This was before the Pigmask Army invasion over three years ago. After that, he mourned his deceased wife and became obsessed with finding his missing son and neglected Lucas along with the rest of the town. Recent events had brought closure and Flint was now slowly regaining his title.

The blond psychic was just now noticing that his fever had gone away. He didn't feel fatigue as he was removing the materials from the wheelbarrow. But something was off. Usually he had a sudden realization of his new found power and if this fever was related to him gaining a new ability, it didn't feel any different. He was beginning to consider that he was mistaken and it could have been just because he was sick. It was possible that a mixture of all of his ailments could have been the cause for him to have a fever of that severity. What caused him to be doubtful of this idea was he had not over exerted his PSI which is one of the causes for fevers. He pushed the thought away and focused on the task his dad had asked of him.

Once he set the materials in the desired place, he went to the front of the house to ask his father for another task. He found Flint adjusting the ladder and leaning it on the side of the house then climbing it. The young boy noticed Boney was now laying in his dog house, which was beside his own humble abode, looking bored. While he waited for his father to ask something of him, Lucas thought it was a good idea to play with the lab. He asked him using telepathy, _Hey boy, wanna play fetch?_ Boney immediately stood up and got into a playing position, leaning his front legs against the floor while his hind ones stood strait up. He wagged his tail vigorously as his tongue was out. Boney dashed into his house and pulled out a white sphere that had red stitching; a ball known as a "Baseball". It was a souvenir that Lucas managed to receive during his adventure. Apparently it was used for a game of the same name as the ball itself where there were two teams and each would take turns hitting the ball using a "Baseball bat" which he also obtained during the final stretches of his journey. The teams would score for points and who ever had the most by the end of the game would win. Lucas knew there were a lot more rules than this but he never got the full explanation for the game. He managed to hear about it during his time in that wretched city. He didn't have much interest in the game because he had hardly any knowledge of it and there was a lack of players. So instead he lent the baseball to Boney who found much enjoyment chewing on it.

The brown dog ran up to the PSI boy and dropped the ball at his feet. The lab stared at it intensely as it lay on the ground as if to catch it if it began to roll away on its own. Lucas humored him and rolled the ball around using psychokinesis which got a hilarious reaction from Boney who quickly moved his head to the same movements as the ball. The blond was laughing internally and found it surprising that Boney didn't become dizzy from the motions. After a minute of this, he made the ball levitate to his hand, tossed it a few times in the air and catching it as Boney kept his unwavering eyes locked on the ball. The boy finally threw it over the trees towards the path to town and saw as the excited dog dashed wildly in that direction.

It took Boney seconds to return with the ball in his mouth. He walked up to Lucas and clenched his jaw hard on the ball. The blond knelt over in an attempt to retrieve the ball forcibly from his dog but he had a tight grip on it. Of course this was just the way they played. When he was once again in possession of the ball, (after almost prying open the dog's mouth in order to succeed) he threw the ball harder, adding PSI to his throw to make it go further. Boney didn't need to see where it was headed as he just did a one-eighty and ran in the familiar direction. "Lucas, can you come up here and bring the hammer with you?"

His father's request made the psionic child remember that he agreed to help his father with the repairs. "Oh yeah, right. I'm coming Dad." He went to the table where Flint set the utensils and picked up a tool with a wooden handle and steel head that had a flat and a sharp side. The equipment was heavier than he expected and almost dropped it on the ground while picking it up. Lucas climbed the ladder to the roof. As he climbed it, he felt that one of the steps was loose but it was so subtle he paid no mind to it.

Down below, the chocolate furred canine had returned with his toy covered in dog drool. He saw his boy on the roof and that was enough for him to think, _The fun is over already?_ So he whined, walked over to his house with his head down and sat at the entrance. _I'll wait for him until he's done._ The chocolate lab thought to himself. He kept the ball beside him at the ready and thought he might as well take a nap.

Once Lucas was on the roof, he found his father chiseling off the old adhesive around the affected area. "We have to re-do this entire section. If it's not reinforced, it could give away when the next storm comes."

It had been a week since it had rained. Sorry, let me rephrase that. It had been a week since the uproar of water and wind had assaulted the town. It had caused more harm to the already damaged buildings of Tazmily. Lucas's home was right at the front of it all and it took the full force of the storm. During the climax, a section of the roof was beginning to give away. There was nothing neither Flint or Lucas could do to prevent the damage. Flint considered at this point they would have to leave their home and take refuge at the Yado Inn for the time being. But it didn't come to that. Instead, they had placed containers in the areas where the water was dripping almost like a small cascade in an attempt to keep their home dry.

"Lucas I need your help to continue scraping the worn adhesive in this area as I remove the harder pieces with the hammer." Using the sharp end of the tool, Flint began to strike down upon the crumbling worn roof shingles. The boy received the chisel from his father and looked at the tool carefully. He was unfamiliar with it's use and held it using both hands as he placed it where Flint had it moments before, and began scraping off the mentioned area.

They continued to work together to remove the unwanted sections of the roof. Mostly small grain-like pieces would fall away and sometimes large pieces as big as his hand would break away. Slowly a hole was forming in the roof and eventually Lucas could see through it, spotting the interior floor below.

After about an hour or so, they had finally removed the section with the most damage. Flint had been moving up and down constantly throughout the process in order to get the supplies needed. He had sawed the long pieces of lumber down to the appropriate size before he handed them to Lucas from the ground. The blond would just pull them up to the roof. Of course he was cautious about this seeing that a fall from this height could cause broken bones. He did possess the ability to levitate should he slip so he was not as worried about the height.

Once they had the necessary materials collected on the roof, Flint began arranging them in the correct position. He began applying the base which consisted of the fresh lumber. Lucas's presence was needed for assisting Flint by handing him nails and firmly holding the wood in place while the man wearing the cowboy hat hammered them steadily.

Next they placed fresh adhesive over the wood, and began placing the roof shingles, matching the position of the rest of them. Lucas was given the task of applying the adhesive as Flint placed the shingles. Their teamwork made the task move smoothly and Lucas felt he was better connecting with his father throughout it, giving his opinions and conversing on the matter and Flint being open for suggestions. He really felt they were a step ahead in the right direction and beginning to leave behind their once broken father-and-son relationship.

As they approached the end of the repairs, Lucas was grateful that he had the time to help his father fix a section of their home and not just with a physical aspect of it but an emotional part as well. Experiencing this process had caused them to become closer together. It had been a long time since he was able to feel comfortable around his dad instead of having awkward moments. It was just like talking to him the way he did in the past when times were mellow.

When they had finished, the sun was positioned closer to the center of the sky. Both stood up to stretch their legs and took a step back admiring their work. "Phew, that should do it son. It was a lot of work but it's finally done. It shouldn't take more than a few hours for the adhesive to settle. After that, the roof ought to be as good as new, maybe even better considering our handiwork put the rest of the roof to shame." Flint let out a slight chuckle at his own remark.

"I don't know Dad, considering I helped, the roof may be worse off." Lucas nervously smiled acknowledging his own clumsiness. He was trying to joke around be he also partially believed his own statement.

"I'm confident this roof won't leak any time soon. I'm willing to eat my own hat if this falls apart." Flint had said almost proudly. Lucas found it odd that his father was in high spirits. It was very unusual indeed. Then again he was accustomed to seeing his father serious the majority of the time; always with something to worry about. He must have felt this was a long awaited achievement. There had been so much to do in town with the remodeling that he did not have the time to fix his own home and he did not feel the need to watch over Lucas anymore hearing from Wess how independent his son had become.

But this was beside the point. Lucas just felt glad that his father was content even if it was just for this small moment. Lucas sighed, "I'll help you clean up Dad." And he began by collecting the tools and placing them in the sack that was used to carry them to the roof. He hung it over his shoulder before descending the ladder. He set the sack on the table before walking over to see what Boney was up to.

Flint took one last long look at the finished product to check if adjustments had to be made but was unable to find any. He was satisfied with the result and collected a few more utensils before beginning to go down the ladder himself. On his way down. He began to mention the next project on his to-do list. "If our roof went this well, then the sheep's shou-" he was unable to finish his statement for in that moment, a step in the ladder split under his weight and caused him to loose his footing, his balance faltered and he quickly began to plummet at a slanted angle, his back to the ground. "Ahhh!"

At once, Lucas felt a surge of emotions and quickly reacted. "DAD!" In a rush of energy, the young psychic reached his open palms in front of him and called upon his PSI. There was that familiar glow again that emitted from his hands which was directed at his father, stopping him from an unfortunate fall mere centimeters from the earth. Flint found himself immobile and floating in the air; the hold was tight and he found it hard to breathe though Lucas had not realized how strong his telekinetic grip was. Once feeling the emotions emanating from his father, he understood he had to let go soon and set him on the ground slowly before releasing the energy. He could hear his father's racing heartbeat in his head and could feel a mixture or panic and fear.

The blond rushed to his father who sat up, still processing what had just occurred. He put his hand over his chest and took deep breaths in order to ease his adrenaline. His other hand set on finding the hat that was usually placed on his head though it wasn't there. It had drifted a few feet in another direction during the fall. "L-Lucas. . . y-you. . ."

When he heard his boy scream, Boney had immediately woken up to search for the reason for it. He found Lucas running to Flint and quickly took his side, whining in concern. Once he saw Flint reaching for his hat, the Labrador went to go fetch it for him. After he picked it up, he walked over and sat beside Flint still holding the hat in his mouth.

Lucas now began to sense discomfort from his father because of the fact that he had used his powers on him. But at the same time gratitude for saving him from a bad injury. He felt his father did not need to verbally thank him, his emotions said it all. But Flint did it anyway unbeknownst that his son had already accepted the remark. "Th-Thank you son." He said with relief in his tone and put a hand on the boy's shoulder. Lucas who was crouching by his side, simply nodded his head and let a small smile show on his face.

Flint took his hat from Boney and put it over his balding head. He rubbed the dog's ear to show his thanks as Boney panted. They all stood up together and the man dusted himself off and adjusted his hat by tipping it forward to conceal his face in shadow. He put his hands on his hips and looked in the direction of the roof of the house. "Looks like that ladder finally gave away." He put his index finger and thumb under his chin. "I should have tested it before using it."

"Maybe the water from the storm damaged it." Lucas suggested also while looking in the same direction as his father.

"Most likely. I'll have to get a new one before I start on the other roof. For now, I could use a break." His voice seemed to quiver with the last phrase. Partly because of exhaustion and another because of what had just occurred. He went to set the tools aside then walked inside the house.

Lucas thought it was best for him to organize the table before he set off, just as a favor for his father. He wanted him to take it easy for a bit before continuing the repairs. After this task, he stepped inside the house to find his father with a glass of lemonade analyzing the ceiling. One glass had been poured for Lucas and set on the table. He accepted the glass but the striped-shirted boy did not sit down. He was about to head off past town to meet with a certain someone and did not want to get comfortable just yet. He went over to the side of his bed in search of something, which attracted his father's attention.

His father eyed his suspiciously and had to ask, "Heading out already?"

Lucas grunted in affirmation and reached an arm just under his bed in search for his weapon of choice. It was a fine piece of wood, smooth bark lined it's surface which made it comfortable to hold. Where he would grip it was thinner almost like a handle of a baseball bat. The end of it was wider and heavier, good for knocking sense into his enemies. Lucas was unsure of what type of tree had constructed such a fine piece of timber but it was very dense so it had to have been a well nurtured and healthy tree. What one might find peculiar was its unique features. As most branches where dried out and had lost their natural color, Lucas's particular branch still had three green _growing _leaves on its surface. What was even more odd was that he used this branch for months, and when it would loose its old leaves, new ones would grow and take the exact same place. His theory was because he was its wielder, his energy was transferred into the stick to maintain it alive. This was not intentional but he didn't remove the leaves; their positioning did not get in his way. He felt they added personality to his weapon. Seeing that he enjoyed nature was an added factor for keeping its unique appearance and accepted it just the way it was. It felt more comfortable holding a weapon that had life and energy.

Throughout his adventure, he had found many different types of sticks and staffs to use as weapons. Some would help increase his physical attack or provide him with invigorating energy exceeding the limit of his psychic powers. Unfortunately he did not have access to them because of where they were stored. Many were still kept by a kind friend to many, the traveling Item Guy. He was nice enough to hang on to peoples' things if they were overcome and he would not even charge a fee. He just did it out of the goodness of his heart. Lucas had not been in contact with him in a while so he couldn't request his items returned. But he knew where to find him of he needed to.

But for the time being, carrying his Better Stick would suffice. He wasn't going far and didn't think it was necessary. It was just a precaution mostly because of the princess. She would do more than yell at Lucas if she found him leaving home unarmed. It was actually quite scary. He went to the cupboard by the counter and took three pieces of Double Jerky to eat at a later time. He was not certain how long he would be gone. Flint had been watching him the entire time, wanting to ask more details about where he was headed off to. But he hesitated knowing he should not pry into more of his son's strange affairs. What his son had done on his journey was more than what Flint had come to understand and more than what he wanted to believe. Lucas being keen on sensing these thoughts of question, only found it proper to tell his father where he was going. He was still attempting to help the reconstruction of their family relationship and letting his father know more would aid in this area.

"I'm going to meet up with the Princess." He said as he turned around to face his father, leaning his stick on his shoulder. He began drinking some lemonade.

"Mm-hm the pink-haired gal is that correct?"

Lucas put his glass down and nodded. "I have to report news to her about something urgent." He paused to choose his next words carefully then continued. "A reliable source told me of possible Chimera sightings in the forest. If there are any, then we should take action before they begin to get too close to town." He waited for his father's physical response.

"I see." Flint shifted in his seat thinking of some matter deeply. Lucas knew better than to pry into his mind. What followed was a few minutes of silence between the two while the blond finished his lemonade. It was that awkward silence that Lucas hated and was trying to avoid.

During this time Flint had many thoughts crossing his mind. The first thought involved questions about these "meetings" and what exactly occurred during this time. He knew it concerned the safety of the village but had no knowledge of the details. Second he didn't exactly approve of his son going to see that Pink-haired Princess. She was. . . something else which he had not grown accustomed to. The Thief, Lucas's other friend, was tolerable but the lot together met the disapproval of many in the village and Flint always thought what was best for the town. Third, he worried about Lucas's well-being. He could not bear the thought of losing his other son. . . Many concerns welled up in his mind while Lucas was onlooking wondering what his father could possibly be thinking. He was not going to read his mind any deeper than he already had. He was gifted with such incredible talents but he was unable to use them in their simplest form or to their fullest potential without someone getting hurt, emotionally or physically.

After several minutes of silence and mental processes, Flint spoke up. "I'll remind people in town to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity. If anyone has something to report, we will send scouting groups and if it is a real threat, I will notify you and advise the village to be set on lock-down until we have the situation under control."

Lucas had just remembered the barriers that his friends had set up on the perimeter of the village. The invisible force field barriers could detect motion and the size and structure of the culprit which set it off. Though it had trouble with smaller creatures that is why if a slitherhen had passed by, it might not have been able to pick it up. Flint had knowledge of this precaution set in place but did not rely on it. Besides, the control panel was with Wess and only he was attentive to this form of detection. He worked together with the village and stayed out of the affairs of Lucas and his allies. In a way, he was the middle man working together with the village while knowing what went on in the side lines in Lucas's small circle of friends.

The technology consisted of Pigmask equipment that they had managed to scavenge from one of their base of operations to the eastern part of the islands. Mrs. Kokko had mentioned it before; the Chimera Laboratory where the Army had constructed their abominations. Lucas trembled as he remembered it eerie halls. . .

Knowing that they were not completely blind to who or what came in and out of the mountains, specifically Mt. Oriander, eased the blond's worries.

All he could do was nod at his fathers emergency plans as he walked to the front door. As he reached to the lustrous doorknob his father spoke out a few words. "Lucas, please watch yourself." Lucas sensed ambiguity in these words. Did his father want him to be wary of potential danger or did he mean that Lucas should watch his own actions? Sometimes it felt like Flint had a hard time choosing "sides". The town or his family? Which one had priority? This caused the PSI kid to feel a bit irritated which is what he did not want to feel during his departure. He whispered "Okay" without turning to look to his father's hidden eyes and opened the door to take his leave.

End note:

I wrote this when my dad was actually putting roofing on a storage house in the back and I was there helping him out. I remember thinking that he could fall off because from my point of view the roof looked very slanted. So that was kind of an inspiration for how this chapter turned out.

Also now you know the secret recipe for Lucas's omelets which is. . . the recipe for ordinary omelets!

The next chapter is already written. I just need to go and proof read it for like the tenth time so stay tuned!


	3. A Strange Encounter

Chapter 3: A Strange Encounter

Stepping outside to view the cerulean ocean was one of the reasons that this location was once visited by tourists. That and the style of this house was not as modern as the rest of the buildings in town and many liked to see the quaint life-style of those that lived here. But this was Lucas's home no matter how simple or dull it seemed to everyone else. He always loved the view when leaving home, the air was fresh and the waves were very soothing and they could calm him down when something irked him. He needed this now. He dragged his feet and stick over the soft green grass and felt as its moisture rose up from the ground and dampen his shoes.

He passed by Boney's dog house without paying mind to him sleeping inside. All Boney needed was a whiff of his boy to sit up and stretch to go find him. He had an impressive sense of smell. It came in handy many times throughout their journey. He could determine what an enemy was weak to by simply sniffing them. The risk lied getting close enough to perform the trick. Once he shook his body, he stepped out of his house and followed his nose. "Woof woooof arf!" (Hey, wait for me!) He ran to catch up to the boy who was preparing to set off.

The blond turned around to see his companion rushing to join him. Just as he came to his side, Lucas looked down at his excited expression; his mouth being closed down on his tongue which was always slightly out of his mouth. Boney was ready to roll and crouched beside Lucas preparing to dash. His tail wagged while in this position. Lucas looked straight ahead, an unusual smirk appeared on his face; one might mistake for confidence, and got into his own dash stance. Then proceeded to a full on sprint. Man how he missed running; the fever being bothersome and had prevented him from enjoying the adrenaline of sprinting. He missed feeling the rush of fresh air run through his hair. He loved running and it reminded him of times when he was younger; more innocent. Boney was always energetic and this was a method for him to release that energy without having to bug someone to play with him.

They dashed through the center of town, passing town square heading further north. Lucas did find others gathered there but was in a rush and didn't see who they were. It wasn't necessary to know, he was just curious. He had an idea who might be there though; Jill and Lisa who were always gossiping and sometimes Brenda was with them too, filling each other in on news about what went on around town. This also happened to be the place where many false rumors started. It was regarded as an area for a sudden town meeting; if something happened, the residence would immediately meet up in this area. Otherwise it was reserved for those who just felt like talking.

The newly painted buildings passed by Lucas and left his vision with a blur of pastel colors racing one after another. Soon he reached the train station which took passengers to the east. Though it was not running at the moment. No one had ridden the train in days. Many had no need to go to the other end since the factory had been closed. Though there were few who were thinking of moving to help rebuild all that had been gone. Club Titiboo for example was missed among the public, mostly the residence of Tazmily and the fans wanted it back. But they were focused on the tasks the village needed in order to be completed before beginning to repair another area. Thus, the reason for the train not running. Someone like Lucas would just run along the train tracks if he needed to get to the other side. Not a very safe option but that was not going to stop him. He just needed to assure he wasn't about to do anything _too _reckless. There had once been a close call with the oncoming train, when he was walking. . .

As he rushed passed the empty station, he noticed the soil was beginning to grow an opaque hue of gray. Large rocks seemed to be scattered along the ground as if a wandering soul had placed these odd stones for an important reason. This was the sign that pointed to the obvious destination. Further ahead were the front gates to the graveyard. Once his shoes made contact with the soil, the young boy halted his speed and proceeded to tread with care. His dog by his side had whined at the sight and smell of what was ahead. Lucas looked at the tall rusted gates that loomed over his head. Why did it suddenly feel so cold? Was it the gust of wind carrying with it dried leaves that had suddenly blown over from above? He didn't know. There was something ominous about this feeling but he couldn't sense anything out of the ordinary feeling that came from being this close to the graveyard. He put his hands together, one hand balled into a fist while the other one grabbed it and put them close to his chest and hugged his branch. Why did he have to cross the graveyard to reach the princess?

Making a forced scowl, he swallowed his fear and hesitation and marched on, passing the entrance. Boney wanted to be right beside him for security while also having a feeling of discomfort caused by the surroundings. There were two paths to follow. He stopped before continuing, and looked to his right. The path he faced lead to the Sunset Overlook. As much as he wanted to make a quick visit first, he passed the idea and hoped to do it after his current task. That way he had more time for his visit. The other path was ahead of him and he reluctantly followed it.

The mysterious castle that once towered over those that stared at its walls in awe was now nothing more than a mountain of bricks and stone. The civilization that once inhabited this palace had been forgotten and tossed aside like the remains and wreckage. When it had crumbled down, it had taken all of its mysteries with it. In the past, it had become a refuge to new inhabitants that had found this empty shell and decided to call it home. Unfortunately for the citizens of Tazmily, most of the residence were unwelcoming. They also disliked the image it had set for the rest of the village. As insignificant that it was to others, this setting had a deep history and it had been the holder of many secret some of which were revealed to the right person at the right time.

This was all in the past as the boy who stood on its grounds was only interested in walking behind it into another part of the forest. He walked down a familiar path, having memorized the required steps to take to avoid the debris. He soon encountered the area that was once the castle's courtyard. The potted plants that had bordered it were now dry and the brick walls were crumbling. In the center of this area was a shallow hole surrounded by a pile of organized pebbles. Powerful energy once rested there and had oozed from its crevice. Now nothing. Lucas could not sense an ounce of energy unlike before when simply being in the area would suffocate anyone, even those who were not wielders of PSI.

Boney also stared in the direction that his partner had his eyes on until he ran forward towards the tall trees, barking wildly. The blond took this by surprise; the lab usually didn't do this type of thing. He ran after his dog expecting trouble. He had caught up with him and found him growling towards the trees. But Lucas saw nothing. He did not feel a presence either. "What is it boy?" Lucas readied his stick just in case there was something approaching—but then he felt a tap on his shoulder and suddenly got chills running down his spine. He was too petrified to turn around.

Eventually he did only to find it was a ghost. He let out a sigh of relief as he put a hand over his chest, closed his eyes and smiled. Wait a minute—A GHOST?!

"WAAHHH!" With one leap, he jumped backward fifteen feet—something that was impossible for an ordinary person to accomplish—and landed three feet behind Boney, stick at the ready though his hands were shaking. Strangely, Boney had the opposite reaction and got _closer_ to the ghost. In fact, his tail was _wagging_.

"Hiyah!" the ghost waved with a big grin on its 'face'? "Oh sorry, did I scare you?"

_No not at all beside the fact I had to walk into a graveyard, go through demolished ancient ruins with an eerie feeling and howling wind only to be greeted by a spirit who sends air waves similar to a PK Freeze α down your spine with its touch and surprises one with said air isn't going to scare anyone at all! _"N-N-NO!" was all Lucas could say. His face had turned red at this point.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to sneak up on you like that. It's just that I was so excited to see a visitor come 'round here. Not many interesting things happen nor do we see many people pass through." This figure really did seem sorry about what he did. "The name's Steve, the Friendly Ghost. Well, at least I think that's my name. I don't remember exactly. I've been dead for so long. Hey do you happen to have a Rotten Eclair? I could trade you some Beef Jerky for it!"

Lucas was still dazed at what was going on. _Nothing out of the ordinary here! Just having a conversation with a ghost you know just another normal day in Tazmily! _The PSI kid shook his head as a way of clearing his mind and saying no. "Um no, sorry."

"Bummer dude, well that's alright. I feel better knowing that I asked. I was following you before you entered the graveyard and I really wanted to ask you but I was too shy. I tried to sneak away but your doggo there noticed I was floating around."

Woof woof!" Boney replied. (You can't get past my nose!)

"Now that I have been discovered, I'm not afraid to ask, what brings you to the remains of our once beloved Osohe Castle hmmm?"

"Uhhh. . ." Lucas was still trying to wrap his mind around the random encounter. What was he expecting? This is the Nowhere Islands after all, he should be use to this type of thing. He guessed the past few months of tranquility made him forget about the oddities that were once part of his daily life.

"Lost for word eh? That's alright I gotta lot to say."

Right before he started talking, Steve's 'eyes' began moving in a strange way. One eye was large while the other seemed to close. Then the eyes moved rhythmically opening and shutting. This left Lucas with the impression that the spirit was a little crazy or he had 'drank' too much wine, however that works. And that he was in for a LONG uninteresting story. . .

"So I'll tell you about the time Osohe Castle was haunted. . !"

Lucas braced himself and began tuning out what the ghost was saying. He had too many other things on his mind. He had to find the princess as soon as he could to fill her in on what he had heard earlier that morning.

". . .and then the carpets began to move BY THEMSELVES! Freaky huh? The rest of the ghosts didn't know what it could have been. We were all frozen with fear. . ."

The town could be in danger and he had important information that could put unfortunate events to a halt. But why was he still standing here? It felt as if something was making him stay.

". . . and there was this cute little ghost frog. Have you ever met a TALKING frog that was also a GHOST. . ? They are the most precious things, they are. . ."

Wait, did this ghost say he was following Lucas since the entrance of the graveyard? So that's what that cold chill must have been from.

". . . and then we were going to the basement's hot-spring for a bath, you know how dirty us ghosts can get sometimes, only to find this Old Man just THERE. If I still had bones, I'm sure they would have rattled because he was just so scary as if he had popped out of NOWHERE. We left thinking he needed some privacy only to return right away but just like he appeared, he was gone! There is no such thing as instantly vanishing right?"

This ghost's talking had reminded the boy of a time he had heard a girl from town named Nana talk about pianos for what seemed like hours. There was just no end to her speech. It had left Lucas confused and made him feel as if stars were circling his head by the end of it. As much as he wanted to leave, he couldn't because he thought it would give her the impression that he was rude so he forced himself to sit through the whole speech. He felt this was going to be the same outcome if he didn't do something about this ghost.

". . . but the woman in the portrait had eyes that would follow you no matter which way you'd float to. If that's not haunted, I don't know what is. . ."

Lucas wanted to pause the disembodied figure by lifting a finger and opening his mouth hoping Steve would interpret his body language as a sign that he was going to interrupt but the ghost held up his 'hands' and stopped him.

". . . the craziest thing were the brooms and their never ending cycle of sweeping! Oh the horror! They would sweep left and right and up and down and on the ceiling! At night, sometimes you could hear the bristles as they scraped the floor. If you were unlucky, they would sweep you up and dump you in a trash can and close the lid with no seeming way of getting out. I still have nightmares."

_Why am I always the victim of these strange occurrences?_ He asked Boney telepathically. His furry friend tilted his head to the side which was the dog equivalent of a person shrugging.

". . . and that's how the Oh-So Snake that lived underneath the castle was defeated. No longer was it loose to terrify innocent ghosts."

Lucas looked down at his side and saw that Boney had already made himself comfortable by laying down and shutting his eyes. _Uh Boney, a little help here? _It didn't seem like "Man's Best Friend" was going to help in this situation without convincement, considering the lab lifted one ear and put it down showing his disinterest. _Fine I won't share my Double Jerky with you._ The psychic mentioned crossing his arms subtly so Steve wouldn't notice; not that he would. He was still too busy talking. Oh that worked. Food always seemed like a good persuasion tool. Boney immediately got up and barked playfully to the ghost. The interruption caused the chattering specter to face the brown dog.

"Hey doggy, I thought you didn't like me 'cause I was stalking you guys, and all of a sudden you want to play? Hey kid is this mutt always hyper or what?"

This reply got a frown from the boy because of the way the spirit mentioned his best friend. _The only one that is hyper around here is you. Heh, heh. Uh okay that was kind of mean of me. _"His name is Boney and don't call him a 'mutt' He _l__oves _to play with new friends, uh especially ghosts. Isn't that right Boney?" _Come on what are you waiting for, do the thing!_

"Bark, bark owwoooooo!" And the choco dog leapt onto the transparent figure and licked his uh face or something?

"Ha ha haaa! Okay you got me. I guess I was wrong about you. You're such a good boy, yes you are!" They were both on the floor with grins on their faces. Boney seemed like he was tackling him the way an exited puppy would.

_Uh okay how did this even work and how is it possible that he was able to catch Boney? Everything always seems to go right through them. _He thought the situation didn't seem like it could have gotten more puzzling but it had. Lucas made a note that he had to remember he shouldn't question the oddities.

Boney leapt away and began hopping around in a side to side motion, making sure the ghost had his eyes set on him. He could be very entertaining when he needed to be. It was distracting enough for the spirit to stop his chattering and instead cheered on for the brown dog. "Awwww dude, look at 'im go! I bet he does some pretty awesome tricks! Hey boy, I bet you can roll over or stand on your back legs."

Boney paused and turned to Lucas with a 'do-I-have to' look on his face. It only took one word to get Boney going. _Jerky, _Lucas's thought rang in the dog's mind in a way that demanded obedience. Boney immediately put on his panting-happy-dog-face and began rolling along the grass which in some areas had developed brown patches. He rolled in a large circle around Steve and stood up on his hind legs and hopped around. Though Boney was capable of imitating the posture of human walking and make it convincing, it wasn't necessary for this situation and made his performance in the act seem more dog-like which seemed to thrill Steve even more.

After another minute of this, the blond had finally begun regaining his composure. This encounter could actually be beneficial so he concocted a plan for a subject change. A transition that Steve wouldn't even notice. It was important that he didn't remember what he was talking about or even the fact that he was one doing all of the talking in the first place.

"So um, Mr. Steve, I was wondering if you could help us out." At this, Boney stopped his performance and walked to Lucas's side. Boney knew what the boy would have requested even without any communication between the two. He was also eager to receive what Lucas had promised.

"What really? You want _my _help? I don't remember the last time a living soul asked me to help with anything. Well there was that one time about three years ago when a thief broke into the castle looking for something. I think his name was Du-"

"Yeah, yeah I'm sure it's another one of your interesting stories that you can tell me all about after you hear what I have to say." No way was he going to permit this spirit to ramble on. Otherwise he would not hear the end of it or be able to stop him again.

"Okay fair enough. What are you in a hurry to get somewhere? You seem wound up like someone knotted the wheels on you skate board. Dude I would know how that's like I have a few tales to tell myself. . ." He noticed the look that Lucas gave him ". . . which I could tell you about later?"

The boy relaxed the look he gave the spirit and nodded, his quiff bobbing in the same motion.

"You know you could have just told me what you wanted to say."

Lucas grunted internally at this. _That's what I was trying to-oh whatever!_

"Alright kid, shoot." He made finger guns using his 'hands' and motioned them in a way that a gun would, caused by the recoil of a blast.

"Um what? I-I wouldn't have a weapon like that!"

"I mean ask the question! Jeeze kid you need to get around more often."

The comment was appreciated by no one. Especially towards the person it was aimed at. Lucas was considering not asking for help anymore but he had already gotten this far into this 'battle' he wasn't about to turn down the extra help even if it resulted to be hardly useful. Maybe this was just Steve's personality which involved saying certain things impulsively and he didn't mean to come off as what Lucas considered to be rude. Maybe he himself was being too sensitive. He had a tendancy to think this way more often than was comfortable. His brother was never this sensitive. . .

"W-well I was wondering if you know your way around this part of the forest." The PK Kid knew his way around the majority of the islands including Sunshine Forest but there were areas that he had not ventured off into. Also, after all the _changes_ that came after he pulled the Seventh Needle could have altered the structure and layout of many locations creating new unfound and unexplored landmarks. Something he had just recently considered. It was possible Steve here could provide an update on recent changes.

"Oh the forest? Well yeah, I know it pretty well since many of us kind of moved there since the castle is gone. I'm not really for it though. It's not the same. There are no hallways to roam around and no kitchen to cook for our parties. It's also not so lively anymore because we are missing our piano so we can't play our awesome ragtime songs anymore." Sorrow showed on his downward face and Lucas thought he heard a sigh.

"Sorry to hear that." A quiet moment spawned between the two. "So um, my question. Have you seen any recent activity that you would consider not normal?" He stopped and thought about this question for a moment and thought how ridiculous it could have sounded to Steve. _Come on Lucas, this is Nowhere we're talking about._

"Come again?"

"Wait, um let me rephrase that." _This is Steve I'm talking to here. _"Have you seen evidence of there being something that is more unusual than the unusual? Things that usually are not with the unusual? Usually?"

Um wait, what?

"Oh now _that_ question makes _perfect_ sense!" . . . Steve seemed to put a transparent limb to where Lucas thought his chin would be if he had one. He made a face that was slightly pondering the question. "Hmmm no, not that I've noticed. I might have to ask the guys. But I doubt they know anything. Usually if they have seen something, they want to let the world know right away. Anything to make the day seem more interesting you know? They can be such like, blabbermouths and sometimes I can't stand them. But at the end of the day, they are still my friends."

_Maybe the skill to talk all day must be a ghost thing._ "Well if you see or find anything out, keep it in mind or you can post it on the sign by the Station. I'll make sure to read it daily for any updates."

"What is this for anyway? Are we gonna be in trouble?"

The last thing Lucas wanted was someone worrying and spreading false rumors. Especially if those rumors were started by someone who couldn't keep their mouth shut and would imagine all kinds of things on the sidelines. It would be bad news that would lead into an over exaggeration of the situation.

"N-no, nothing is wrong. We just want to take um precautions. You know in case there is a problem. We just want everyone to be careful."

"Hmm. I'm not buying it. Kid, you're a bad liar. You know something don't you?"

Lucas was taken aback by the accusation. Maybe Steve was not as clueless about everything like he originally thought. But regardless, he needed to make Steve feel like there wasn't major danger and that Lucas was to be trusted by him.

The blond let out a sigh. "Yeah you're right, I'm not a very good liar." _Mom would scold me if she knew I was not being honest. _"It's just that I need to know that I can trust you Steve, and that you can trust me and whatever I tell you, you won't tell anyone else. At least until we get the facts straight and then let others know." _I wouldn't want you twisting my words. _He used a flat tone for the last part.

"Is it that bad?" He put on a worried face. A face that gave Lucas the impression that he was about to let out a ghostly wail. "Oh man! Dude, the gang was barely starting to get comfortable and now you're telling me we're going to be in trouble again?" He was floating back and forth.

"H-hey Steve, Steve, you didn't let me say anything yet!" _Guess I'm not the only sensitive one around here. _"Sorry, the way I brought it up was too serious. But it's not as bad as I made it sound. You don't have to worry about it." Boney scratched his shorts waiting for his snack. _Not yet Boney! _"So Mr. Steve, can we trust each other?"

"I'm willing if you're willing little dude. But you gotta tell me what's up. What do you know?"

Well at least he stopped calling him 'kid' but was now replaced with 'dude'. He did not know which of the two was worse. It did not affect him as he had been labeled worse things. The positive outcome was Steve had calmed down which would make it easier to talk with him and for his understanding to be rational.

"I heard from a source that there may still be Chimeras in Sunshine Forest. Specifically a type known as 'Slitherhens'. Now they are not very dangerous—"

"Oh good."

"—when they are alone but can be annoying when they are encountered in groups. I would recommend being with someone whenever possible."

"Oh yeah like the buddy system, good idea. Uh question, how many are in a group?"

"It could be two or more depending on how many there are in the area and they usually call for help so you could easily be fighting off six or more. That's why if you see one, it's important to get rid of it quickly because if not, it's like a chain reaction. One after the other. . ."

Lucas remembered way back to the time of the beginning of his journey when he first had encountered those creatures and how much he had struggled against them. It was before he had realized his powers and all he had to fight them off was his trusty stick and Boney at his side. Just when he thought he was about done with one, two more would take its place. Now, they were no threat to him at all. He could easily kick them aside or fling them away with his mind. The latter was quite amusing to the other members of his party but he sometimes thought it was sick-minded. The way _HE_ thought it was. Just the way _He _found pleasure in experimenting with innocent creatures was amusing.

The psychic had not realized he was clenching his fist at the thought of the one who had referred to himself as the Pig King, but Steve saw and floated back, feeling a bit unsure.

"Whoa dude I'm guessing you must have had to fight a ton off and based on the expression on your face, they must have been_ really_ annoying to deal with."

"Huh? Oh yeah, really annoying which is why I don't want anyone else to have to run into them. Just let your friends know to be careful around the woods. I'm sure you guys could just float away but I don't think you have to, you could easily fight back." He shifted his eyebrows and revealed a sly smile. "In fact, the enemy should be scared of _you! _I mean you guys could be really scary if you wanted to. No Chimeras or bad guys would even think of messing with you."

Steve had some sort of epiphany because Lucas saw his face glow with paranormal light. The good kind that he could not explain. "Little dude, you're so right!" He began throwing punches in the air in front of him, fighting off an imaginary enemy. "Yeah, yeah how d'you like that?" This new enthusiasm was quite humorous and made Lucas chuckle a bit. It felt good to know that he could encourage people (or ghosts) to believe in themselves.

_Wow I can't believe that worked._

Once he was done with his duel, he laughed at himself. "Hey you know little dude, you're all right. I gotta tell the other dudes about you. I know they would be into meeting you." He proceeded to rub the blond's head—which was a mistake.

Lucas flinched and squint his eyes unprepared for the sudden gesture. "H—hey, hey! Watch the hair _pal_." He used a threatening tone and pointed an accusing finger at him. It was unlike him.

"Naw dude it's okay. Ghost, remember? Things go right through us." He made one 'hand' go through the other one back and forth. "I didn't actually touch your hair seeing how stylish it is. I'm sure it impresses the ladies." He made finger guns again and made a clicking sound with his mouth. "Makes me wish I still had hair." Now it was Steve's turn at flattery.

"Huh?" Lucas looked up and patted his head softly feeling that his hair was just like before. Not a strand out of place. "Oh sorry I snapped at you. And my name's Lucas. I was kind of rude before and didn't introduce myself properly and I apologize." He bowed his head and regretted his 'aggressive' behavior.

"Nah man we're cool. You don't have to be all formal and stuff with me. Wait, hold your surfboard man, did you just say your name was Lucas? _The _Lucas?"

"Uhhh yeah?" Were there any others that went by that name? He took a step back as he braced for something. Why did he get the feeling that this dude was gonna gush right now? _Oh great now I'm calling him dude._

"Like DUDE! You're like so FAMOUS! All of my guys rave about you! You're the Lucas kid that beat up all of those evil Pig Masked dudes with like your magic powers and stuff and saved the world! You sure gave them a run for their bacon huh? Those suckers had it coming to them. They completely trashed our home. You're like, our savior dude!"

"Woof awwoof!" (I helped too!) Boney interrupted but was ignored.

Steve had been floating closer ever so slightly as he said all of this and caused Lucas to back away slowly. The spirit's eyes were making the same motion as before. "Um yeah that was me. Though no one had ever put it that way before." He gave a smile of embarrassment and rubbed the back of his neck. This was the first time someone had felt that what he had done was just, and had a positive reaction to it. "I'm sorry, but to tell you the truth, I don't have 'magic powers'. I'm not even sure if that exists. But what I do have is something called psychokinesis or PSI for short. It's basically the power of the mind." _And heart._

"However you wanna call it man, I just heard it's like super rad and you can blow things up spontaneously and it looks awesome and flashy."

"Really, what else did you hear about what I can do?" Now he was curious about rumors that were going around about him and his abilities.

"Not much, just that you can really swing that stick around and fly, 'whooosh' and shoot lasers out of your eyes like, 'pew pew' and have super strength to lift up a truck and other crazy superhero stuff." He said this really fast, motioning different actions for every ability that he described.

_Whoa how did that even start? _"Except the part about the stick, everything else isn't true. Sorry to say it but I'm not a superhero." _Maybe if I stacked enough Offense Up, lifting up a truck wouldn't be far from possible._

"But you can make things explode without touching them right?"

"Well yes but—"

"There you go, superhero."

"I just did what no one else could in order to restore the world. I don't consider myself a superhero at all."

"Hmm maybe not a superhero but definitely a hero man. Besides, I figured that not everything I heard must be true and half the stuff people say is made up by their crazy mind. But you gotta admit all the other stuff you can do is pretty awesome. And how ever you did it, you still saved the world." Steve crossed his arms and nodded to further affirm that he had faith in what he said.

"That's not how everyone else sees it. . ." The PK kid muttered to himself quietly enough not to be heard.

But Steve did hear. "So what? Just because they don't see it doesn't make it any less true. You know what you did was right and that's all that matters. Mm hm."

Steve was right and Lucas knew it and had told himself the same many times over. It sounded similar to something his mother had once said. But why did he still care about what others thought?

"Now that that's been established, you my young dude need an awesome superhero name."

"I already told you, I'm not a super—"

"How does 'Luke Skyrunner' sound? Oh no wait you said you can't fly and that sounds like it would fit some flying man from space or something."

"No really, I'm fine just being called my normal name. I don't want— "

"No that doesn't sound intimidating enough. Let's go with 'The Tazmilian Devil'. Eh? 'Cause you're a resident of Tazmily? Now that's a good one. Maybe 'The Chimera Slayer' or how about—"

"_Enough!" _That was it, he was not going to allow this to go on for any longer. He had projected his telekinetic thoughts outward which made it loud enough to make it sound as if his voice had been projected using the speakers he had once seen at the City's Movie theater. He had no choice but to do it this way as he could't find Steve's mind to project it to.

The ghost covered his 'ears' as if to stop the loud voice but he could not. This thought had traveled through his entire being and made his 'body' tremble. Boney felt it too and whined as he covered his ears using his paws.

"Ow owwww oww ow! Jeeze that was loud."

"Sorry man I—I mean Mr. Steve, but I really have to get going remember?"

"Dude I should apologize this time for being so excited. You did tell me before that you were in a hurry. But just before you go," He paused for a moment almost afraid to ask. "Um can you um, show meee?"

Lucas had a bemused expression. He had no idea what he meant. "Show you what?"

"You know, show me your powers! I want to see them but not like right now like that boom-burst thing you did. I wanna see the lights everyone talks about. Pleeeease? And I won't sneak up on you ever again!" The ghost had his hands together pleading as if asking a famous person for an autograph.

Lucas was not the flashy type and did not like to show off. He hated being the center of attention and preferred to be left alone. But at the same time, he did not want to disappoint his first fan by not fulfilling his request. Besides Steve was nice. Annoying, but nice nonetheless. Deep down, he wanted a good excuse to use his power. This would also help in eliminating those wacky rumors going around so this was a good opportunity. He thought about it then sighed and nodded his head slightly. "You might want to take a few steps back or um float I mean."

Steve gasped in excitement, "Yesss!" He pumped his arm and moved back.

Before anything else, Lucas looked at his surroundings to assure there were no obstructions or flammable objects. Then looked back at Boney and bobbed his head once while Boney did the same. Lucas handed his stick to him as Boney grabbed it then ran back. He knew what the boy was about to do was dangerous and he needed to clear the area. The psychic took a deep breath and focused his energy; it had been a while since he last attempted this. Now he intended it to be a much weaker version of α level if he could muster it. He put his right index finger to his forehead and closed his eyes in concentration. A tiny yellow—whitish spark appeared at his finger tip and it began to grow slowly. He opened his eyes and extended his arm, allowing the energy to flow to his upward-facing palm making sure Steve got a good look at it.

"Oh my—bro, that's really cool."

_You haven't seen nothing yet._

The psychic teen then put both palms together allowing the energy spark to increase in size. This time, tiny sparks of magenta and orange began trickling out of the larger spark. Now he had to make certain to restrain his power as much as possible. He did not want the full level of α to be released all at once and attempted to try something new. He wanted to use the same amount of energy but extend its duration by releasing it in smaller quantities and make it less of a threat. He was handling something deadlier than fire and he knew it. Once he summoned the energy, he had to let it out as it was difficult to pull back.

He lifted his hands above his head and allowed the energy to continue its flow. As he let it go, there were bright purplish glows surrounding the sparks that began appearing above the main spark that was still focused on his hands. It was like a show of sparklers above his head that began illuminating the center of the castle's courtyard. After a few seconds of this, it was time for the main event. The sparklers were all done with and now it was time for the fireworks. Where the purplish glows were, geometric hexagonal cyan and yellow colored shapes began to emerge in rapid succession. They grew larger than the ones before until they were the size of Lucas himself. They rose up into the air for a few feet and diminished in size and intensity as they climbed. Lucas had also risen a few inches off the ground, levitating in place with mental effort as the light show continued. Eventually he spread his arms and caused the first glimmer he created to rise and it gave one final burst of light which diminished into smaller sparks, showering him with magnificent glows and fragments of light. As they fell they faded away, vanishing from existence. With his eyes closed, Lucas allowed himself back on the ground as he let out a deep breath. He had forgotten how amazing it felt to use his power. Releasing this energy also alleviated some unknown stress in the boy and he felt much better as a result. When he opened his eyes, he was unprepared for the look on Steve's face.

"Th—that was the most b—beautiful thing I have ever s—seen. *sniff*" And he pulled a tissue from behind his back and blew into it.

"Heh, heh thanks. It wasn't much really." Again, he rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment. He was somewhat proud of himself as his demonstration had gone smoothly. There was not a moment where he thought he would have lost control. Now this was surprising to him. Before, he would develop a fear that his attack would not hit its intended target and instead land on an ally. This one instance had not relieved him of his doubts. "Now it may look appealing but you got to remember that what I just showed you is very dangerous Mr. Steve and it's not something I can do freely all the time when there is nothing to use it on. Um it could get out of my control which is why I used a weaker version of it."

"You mean that was a _weak_ version of it!" His mouth dropped in disbelief and he threw the tissue over his back. "Whoa if you went all out, I bet you could blow up a mountain." He over exaggerated. "By the way, what do you call it?"

"PK Love." Boney walked to him and handed him his stick back. "Well I should get going, it was nice talking with you Mr. Steve. And remember what we agreed on."

"You're the man Captain." And he gave Lucas a little salute.

Before the boy turned around, he had one last request. "Oh um one last question, did you happen to see the Princess in Sunshine Forest by any chance?"

"Oh you mean that pink-haired lady that yells a lot of swear words? Yeah she's definitely in there but I wouldn't know exactly where. Us ghosts are terrified of her. One of my pals told me she gave him nightmares because of her tormenting in the castle. She would only ever bother my buds if they got on her nerves so I don't exactly blame her. I know she can be nice but she is still very scary." He wanted to ask how he had got to know her but he didn't want to make the super-powered kid angry, now seeing what he was capable of. That would have to be a question for another day.

"That was more than I needed to know, but thanks."

Steve thought it was too late. "I have displeased the almighty Lucas! I'm sorry dude, I spoke too much. Please don't blow me up!" He was cowering low to the ground and groveling.

Steve's personality sure was spontaneous.

"Hey Mr. Steve, I wouldn't do that! I'm one of the good guys remember? And I would never do anything to hurt good people. Or ghosts. I don't want you to treat me different just because you know who I am. Just be yourself."

"Sorry little dude, I tend to overreact sometimes. So we're cool right?"

To put it in Steve's words, "Yeah we're cool. I'll see you and thanks again."

"Keep being awesome dude." And he gave him the finger guns one last time before vanishing. It was like him to leave in this style.

_Wow that encounter sure was a weird one. Just another one to add to the list._ He turned around to face Boney. "Okay boy you heard Steve! She's in there somewhere and we gotta find her. You should lead the way this time." The lab just looked at the boy and did not budge from his sitting spot. "Come on Boney, we don't have time to waste anymore." The look on the dog's face was that of betrayal and Lucas was forced to ask, "What?" before picking up and understanding his emotions. "Oh right I forgot." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of the double sun-dried jerky for his friend. Boney with his tail wagging, happily accepted his reward and scarfed it down. Then turned around and made a mad dash for the trees.


	4. A Talk of Plans and PSI

Before Reading:

This chapter contains some language not intended for younger audiences. For those of you who know the game, you can pretty much guess who is using it. It is not much but I still want to point it out before any further reading. Now I better stop before I sound too much like a mature rating warning. Anyway, keep on reading!

* * *

Chapter 4: A Talk of Plans and PSI

The forest by this time of day was peaceful. Upon entering, the sounds consisted of chirping birds as they fluttered through the trees which seemed to be swaying to the tune of the wind. It blew into the branches and leaves, high above those who passed along the ground.

Below was a scampering brown labrador who was beginning to track a familiar scent. A ways behind him was his owner who was having trouble retaining the pace of his dog. As he ran, a thought crossed his mind. _It wasn't even five minutes ago that we walked into the forest with no idea where to go then suddenly this crazy dog just sprints without letting me know where to. _He was panting and paused for a breather. He leaned his hand on the side of a tree as he realized he had lost track of the energetic dog. "Oh no, Boney!" Lucas yelled as he put his hands around his mouth in hopes of projecting his voice. He waited for a reply but the next few moments were followed by silence. "Ugg now which way did he go?" He looked around to see if he could spot the direction the lab decided to take by trying to observe changes in the environment, mostly on the ground. He was not exactly a tracker but he had learned a thing or two from a friend. "Could he have gone this way?" Another obvious idea crossed his mind. "Come on Lucas, telepathy duh." He closed his eyes and scanned the area with his mind, searching for another one in particular. He failed knowing he was not very good at it and soon thought Boney might have been out of his range to contact.

As he pulled back his search, he detected a small consciousness above him in the trees peering at him through the thicket. He glanced in that direction expecting someone to be there but upon inspection there was nothing. Was his sixth sense failing him? Maybe he must have been mistaken. The boy sat down on a large tree root placing his stick at his side as he thought about his options. _That's the last time I let _you_ lead the way, _and sighed after this thought. He looked up in search of the sky wondering what time it was but instead noticed a small bird staring down at him from a low branch.

"Chirp, chirp!"

"Oh uh, hello there." It was a sparrow! Good, from his experience these little birds had always been helpful. Maybe it could have seen Boney pass by.

"Chirp!"

"Sorry to bother you but did you see a brown dog run through here by any chance?"

"Chirp!"

"Yes I know sorry about that but—"

"Chirp, chirp."

"Okay I'll remember that. It won't happen again."

"Chirp chirpy chirp!"

"Alright I should keep going and thanks for your help." _How rude._

"Chirp, chirp."

He picked up his stick and walked in the direction the sparrow had told him to take, using very unkind words that is. _Jeeze he didn't have to be so rude about it. _He was considering that maybe not all sparrows were the friendly type.

He headed towards the west in hopes the bird was right. His task now was tracking down his tracker. Navigating this area was difficult as there were no set paths while trees and shrubs were much closer together obstructing the paths that were available but which were not linear. It showed how often people came through here which was never. The only ones bold enough to pass through obstacles like these other than himself were his friends.

He reached a clearing, paused and looked around. "Okay, now which way?" He tried reaching Boney with his mind once more but to no avail. The demonstration that he gave Steve must have depleted more of his energy than he originally intended. The situation was causing him to grow a little frustrated. So he took a deep breath and yelled, "BONEYYYY!" at the top of his lungs. He heard his own voice fill the area then resonate past the trees. He saw birds as they flew away due to the sudden pierce of silence. He did not expect to hear anything as before but it was different this time as he managed to hear a faint bark. It had replied to his call! But where did it come from?

"WHERE ARE YOU?" He remained silent to better hear another reply but could not help his heavy breathing. Then a few more faint barks called back, this time Lucas knew they came from the north. So he dashed in that direction leaping over boulders and fallen foliage. He managed to get a few scrapes from the bushes along his arms and legs but he didn't care as long as they did not hinder his speed. He had to catch up to Boney, knowing that once the dog was hot on a trail, he wasn't about to stop until he found its source. At this rate, Lucas would reach Mt. Oriander's cliffs.

"Bark bark, woooff!" Now that call sounded much closer than the previous ones. He could hear it very well but his vision ahead was blocked by the low branches so he had to rely on his other senses in terms of directing himself. He had almost caught up to Boney's calls—until he felt a sudden spike in energy a little ways ahead of him. Not just any, this energy was _too_ familiar. Just then, a massive rush of cold air zoomed towards him. His body had not caught up with his mind and his reaction time was slower than he had hoped, but he managed to dive to the ground, the mass of energy missing his head by a fraction. Following a burst of bluish—white light and loud explosion that sounded like shattering glass, Lucas's face slammed into the dirt and he felt his cheek scrape the pebbles littering the ground. Clenching his teeth, he sprang up off the earth as quickly as his body would allow him and turned to glance behind himself. The trunk of the tree that the projectile had hit was now completely frozen. Stalagmites as thick as his leg at their base and tapered to a needle point, now surrounded the bottom of the tree. The air around him was covered by a thin layer of misty haze which emitted from the icicles. This was not natural occurring ice.

He was forced to prepare himself for the sudden threat and handled his branch in between his hands with determination. He searched for the source of the blast but instead heard a loud cheer; it had originated from somewhere in the trees.

"Wwoo, that almost hit! I gotta admit, you did great on dodging that Lucas! I mostly expected that you'd run into it."

Lucas was caught off guard and thought of the only person he knew which would provide such a rude awakening.

The princess of Osohe castle was sitting on a high branch in the trees. A hand resting on it for balance while the other had two fingers pointing up while that same mist from before generated from them. She blew at her fingers eliminating the smoke and moved her hand down and waved; a mischievous smile across her face. From Lucas's position, one could see the light blue, almost violet long sleeve sweater with a hoodie that went below her waist. Lighter blue stripes were at the wrists, lower waist and collar of it. She wore magenta boots which reached below her knees and her bright, pointed hair was a similar shade and in a pixie-cut. She wore short black shorts hardly noticeable under her long hoodie. At the moment, her eyes glowed in a phosphorescent hue of magenta, signaling the recent use of her PSI.

A similar glow was beginning to appear in Lucas's eyes except in a cyan color, as he was gathering psychic energy as a result of his anger. This happened sometimes due to some sort of agitation. It could have been due to his fight or flight response as well but there was no certainty.

"W—why did you do that Kumatora!" the boy demanded. "You almost froze me solid!"

"Damn right but you dodged it and that's the important thing. You passed today's warm-up test, yaay!" She moved her hands together to one side and feigned an applaud. Then leapt forward off the branch and performed a front flip as she descended to the ground. Thanks to her levitation, her fall was cushioned by mental manipulation of her weight. She stood at full height in front of Lucas being over a head taller than him, with her hands at her hips. One would be convinced she was around the age of eighteen or nineteen based on her posture and appearance. Besides the blond psychic, she was the only one around that could use PSI, but unlike him she had years of experience and was proficient in its manipulation. She didn't possess the raw power that Lucas did, instead she had more variety and stamina. Her PSI was still deadly and a force to be reckoned with.

Noticing that Lucas was still upset about her almost freezing him she said, "Come on, don't be mad. If I don't keep you on your toes than who else will, your old man?"

Lucas gave a little pout as his eyes reverted back to their normal blue hue. She had a point but for the sake of wanting to argue with her he replied, "Nothing even happens anymore."

Now it was the princess's turn to argue that point. "You can't be too prepared. You gotta be able to blow shit up at a moment's notice or be able to evade an attack without warning. And besides, from what I heard there may be something going on."

This snapped Lucas out of temporary state of anger. "What? How did you already figure that out?"

"Duh I'm psychic too you dork and that's the first thing Boney told me."

"Boney. . ." The blond turned away from her and searched for the friend that abandoned him in the middle of the forest which had caused him to temporary loose his way to get here. He found him under the tree that Kumatora jumped from, lying in the shade. Boney felt that he was being watched and looked over to his boy who was feeding his emotions into the lab. Lucas for the most part did not need words to communicate with his dog. Thoughts however said more than words ever could. What he was sending made the pooch feel uneasy and he whined and moved his ears back in shame.

"Don't make him feel guilty. You know he didn't mean it. If you ask me, he did a favor by ditching you."

This made the boy break his glare on the canine and directed it on Kumatora instead.

She was unaffected by his intimidating stare. "Otherwise you'll seem needy like you have to have someone hold your hand all the time. It was good that he broke away from you for once so you could find your own way here. I mean he is always by your side."

Lucas removed his glare and instead focused his eyes on the ground. She had her own crude way of making a point. He was being too harsh on the lab but at the same time, he had the right to be upset.

"So hurry up and tell me more about all of this. I'm not gonna stand here all day and wait until you feel better."

Oh right his misplaced anger was interfering with the main reason he was here. He had to push that aside for now. He stopped for a bit considering where he should begin and found himself asking the first question. "How much did Boney tell you?"

"He didn't say much, he just mentioned what Mrs. Koo koo had warned you guys about and some dude named Steve."

"Actually it's 'Mrs. Kokko'."

"That's what I said and are you sure you can trust this old chicken? She probably said this 'cause she had nothing better to do. Her name _should_ be 'Koo koo' because she might be delusional, ha ha. I'm sure she got you name wrong; must have called you 'Lucky' or something." Kumatora was cracking up.

Lucas became flustered because she was making fun of the situation. "Kuma, I'm _serious! _I could tell she was being honest and she would have no reason for lying."

"Whatever then, but when we find out everything is fine, I'm gonna be braggin' in your face." She sensed Lucas's anxiety but pretended to act disinterested to keep her image. Deep down, she was just as concerned as he was but she would not allow him to sense that part of her. Because she was more experienced with PSI, she could conceal her thoughts and emotions from others who could potentially read them. So Lucas did not know how she truly felt.

He was not going to argue any further so he proceeded to tell her about his encounter with the hen and what she saw. He left out unnecessary details and focused on telling her his biggest concern, the fact that there were still chimeras out there. After his explanation, he stayed quiet waiting for her response but when she did not speak, he felt the need to say something that would provide come reassurance to the situation.

"There shouldn't be any more right? I mean after I pulled the last Needle, that cataclysm should have wiped out the ones that were left."

Kumatora had a sullen look, one she rarely ever displayed. She had become serious about this news and her behavior was beginning to reflect that, as much as she tried not to let it show. She was no longer expressing her usual rough attitude. "Well we must have fucked up. We _assumed_ they had been wiped out but we never had gone too far out of our way to really check. Remember that scouting mission I sent you out on and you said there was no evidence that pointed to traces of chimeras? I had agreed with you because I never found anything either. We just _assumed_ everything was okay. And you know what they say about assuming, it makes an _ass_ out of _u _and _me_."

_Do people really say that?_ Lucas thought to himself.

"There may have been some stragglers that must have survived. Who knows how many there could be now. If Kokko said she only saw one slitherhen, then it might not be a big deal. But if something as stupid as a freakin' chicken head with a snake body survived, what's to say something tougher didn't make it? If that's the case, then we have a bigger problem."

"So what is the best thing to do first?"

"Warn everyone to be on guard. As much as they hate us, it's our duty to keep everyone safe and the first thing we have to do is tell them they may be in trouble. They are not gonna like it but like I give a shit."

Lucas winced at how many curse words she was using. This could mean she was getting angry or agitated but there was no way he could tell. He did not want to be around her if she did get mad. So instead he said something that might make her calm down. "I told my dad about this already and he said he was going to do the talking in the village."

"That's a start, those people trust your old man a lot more than they do us. Second, we have to check it out ourselves and we should tell Duster and Wess about this too. We might have to traverse the whole mountain and then some, so we are gonna need the help. After this is done, we should have more information and will decide what to do after these first two tasks have been accomplished."

Lucas thought Kumatora was good at pitching plans they could rely on which is why he had wanted to come see her first. They remained silent for a short time, allowing the plan to settle, until Kumatora broke the silence by asking, "Who else knows about this?"

"Oh the ghost Boney told you about, the guy named Steve. I didn't mean to tell him but he kind of got it out of me. I also checked with him and he said neither him nor his friends had seen anything."

The young woman thought to herself. "Steve, Steve. . . Oh yeah, I think I remember that dude. Beside the fact that he is constantly running his mouth, he's completely harmless so it won't do any damage that you told him."

"Oh yeah he can definitely talk a lot, a bunch of things off topic too. I just mentioned my name at one point and he immediately knew who I was. He even said I was famous among him and his friends. They liked that we drove the Pigmasks away."

"Pff oh yeah, sure. Don't mistake fame for notoriety Lucas. They might call you a hero now but if they find out that we indirectly caused the destruction of their castle, they might join the group that already hates us and add the missing pitchforks and torches while they're at it. Not like we couldn't handle that."

Whoa he did not think of that before. This made the praise he got earlier seem like it was going to turn into hatred eventually and he became a little more worried.

As tough as nails as Kumatora seemed, she was very keen on sensing abnormalities in people's emotions. She felt this just now with the boy and felt the urge to pry. "Okay what's the matter with you?" she crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow at him.

Lucas was unaware of where the sudden shift in attitude came from. "H-huh?"

"Since you got here, the air around you seems more depressed and not just because of this situation. You're down in the dumps, more than usual and I want to know why."

"W-what makes you say that?"

"Come on don't try that on me, like I can't totally tell. . . and I just confirmed it with Boney, and he says he's been worried about you for days now! This morning when you guys were at the beach, Boney said that you ignored a dolphin ossicle. You practically collect those! If this were a JRPG, it's a fact that they would always be cluttering your inventory. You keep blankly staring at things for long periods of time and you didn't even want to finish your omelet." She waved and accusing finger at him.

_What the heck is a 'Jay-are-pee-gee'?_ Lucas had never heard the term before.

She had read his mind. "It's an acronym for—forget about it, it's not important and you are avoiding the question. If you don't start talking, this time I won't miss and that tree over there won't be the only thing that's encased in ice."

He froze as if he had already been struck by the icy projectile. He shifted his eyes in that direction and gulped. The ice was in a direct spotlight and gave a twinkle due to the light from the sun being refracted. It had not even begun to melt yet. This was not a hollow threat and with the slightest provocation, the psychic princess would use her elemental PSI on anything or _anyone_.

"Okay, okay, I was going to tell you but I wasn't sure how to bring it up." Lucas was nervous about telling her and dreaded what he might find out. He was unable to stall any longer nor did he want to continue to do so. He allowed himself to relax by taking a deep breath and took a moment to think how exactly he was going to say it. If only there was someone who he felt more comfortable telling and would provide reassurance that everything would be alright; a mother perhaps. He knew he could confide in Kumatora as she was the only one who could understand, but it was not the same. When he was finally ready, he turned around refusing to face her as he spoke.

"I had a weird dream last night. It wasn't like a nightmare it was just. . . it made me feel like there was something very wrong. . . I don't know how to explain it. I can't remember what happened. And then when I woke up this morning, I felt like I was going throw up so I ran outside to the bushes and did it there." He put a hand in his pocket and kicked a rock away. "I had a high temperature too. It was one of _those_ fevers Kuma, and it lasted longer than they usually do. After it had passed, nothing happened. I didn't feel any different. But I'm sure it was related to my PSI."

All Kumatora did was listen attentively before providing her opinion in the matter. Based on what he said, she thought to provide a reply to what she considered to be the most important. She was all too familiar with those fevers that every psionic user had to endure. "Hmm, are you _sure _it was _that _type of fever and not just you being sick?"

The boy nodded and griped his arm with his free hand, the other holding the Better Stick that was partially touching the ground. He was still facing away from her.

What she found as odd about his explanation was if this indeed had been one of those fevers, why had the boy not realized his new potential? When she finally spoke, she used a rather normal tone not wanting to sound too grave knowing how sensitive the blond could get. "Well I'm not sure why this is. My theory is that you only got a part of the fever so you only partially received the power-up. The reason you haven't realized a new ability is because you still need that other part or parts."

"Does this mean I'll keep getting fevers?"

"Yep, pretty much."

"But I don't get one thing. How am I getting a new ability without even doing anything?"

"What do you mean, 'not doing anything' haven't you been using any PSI?"

"No not really. I mean just a little here and there."

"Lucas don't you know how _dangerous _it is if you _don't _use PSI regularly? Your body can't contain all of that power and if you hold it in for too long without regulation, it could become unstable and you could _explode!_"

"W-WHAT!" He finally turned around to face her with an expression greater than astonishment.

"Pppfffff. . . HAAA HA ha! Naw I'm just messing with you. You should have seen the look on your face. Priceless." She leaned forward on her knees and wiped a tear away.

"Kuma, that's so mean!"

"Yeah I know, I'm sorry I couldn't help it." Once she calmed down she continued her explanation. "Something like that won't happen—"

"Pheww." He let out a sigh of relief.

"—as far as I know. It's still not good that you're holding it in though. You have to use it more often Lucas. That energy has to be released someway and somewhere where you won't hurt anyone. You can't lie to yourself and keep hiding who you are. It won't turn out too good for you."

What was he to do? The conversation with his father earlier was _against _using PSI and now Kumatora was telling him that it was bad for his health if he _didn't _use it?

"Back to your other question, the reason a sudden ability reveals itself isn't always related to whether or not you battle. Sometimes it just _happens. _It could also be due to environmental factors and your body needing adapt or defend itself."

"Like when Ionia almost drowned me in the hot-spring or when I was struck by lightning at Thunder Tower?"

"Exactly. Both of those instances put you in a state where you were in danger and caused dormant power to awaken inside you."

Lucas had forgotten about this reason and he felt more at ease. "So how about the dream?"

"I can't help with whatever is tormenting you. You're gonna have to find that out for yourself. But actually now that I think about it, the two may be connected. That dream whatever it is must be subconsciously causing you mental stress and your mind might be trying to rid itself of a threat. It's not a physical battle that you are fighting, it's a mental one. That may be the ultimate reason for your fever and the sudden growth in power."

"I-I. . . Has my PSI gotten _stronger_ without my knowing?" He asked himself aloud. He looked at his hands as if expecting psychic energy to summon itself without his will. He also thought of the pulling of the final needle and how that must have affected him. He must have obtained a power boost that he was unaware of and that would only make itself known when it was needed. Just like the other times when he had pulled them.

"I can definitely feel your energy now. I mean just before you got here, I sensed a sudden power surge in the direction that you came from, much greater than you would normally discharge at _that_ level but I knew it was you. No one else can use PSI around here, let alone PK Love as you call it."

"You could sense that from all the way here?" Lucas was very impressed.

"What you can't? You mean to tell me that you can't sense your own energy right now while it is not in use? Or how about mine? Tsk, tsk you gotta lot of work to do."

She was right. Again! Lucas knew he was not very good at using that extra sense of perception. To an extent he could feel emotions and use telepathy just fine. He just found this much easier probably due to his compassionate heart. But he was unable to read or detect levels of power as she described. The two must have been separate energies. Kumatora seemed to know more about his power than he did. He felt a little insulted and envious.

"Come to think of it, you don't know any other types of offensive PSI beside that _effeminately_ named psychic attack."

Did she just disrespect the name of his signature move? Alright now she was _pushing it. "_Well I don't know a lot of this stuff because **no one ever told me**." He emphasized that last part with annoyance as he directed it at the pink-haired princess.

"I was willing to explain, you just didn't want to hear it." She said while rubbing her ear using her pinkie finger.

"Well I just didn't have time to learn anything because we were always too busy **fighting an entire army**." He was almost on the verge of yelling.

"Excuses. *Yawn*" She shut her eyes and leaned her head on her intertwined fingers. Lucas did not notice the tiniest smile on her face or the fact she was peaking at him. _That's it Lucas, get mad._

She was not taking him serious. Again! For some reason, he was beginning to feel unusual hatred and not just because of her insults. Other events from the past had weighed on him for so long and added fuel to his inner fiery rage. "Grrrr. . ." His eyes began to glow like before, only this time, their normal hue of cyan was off and shifted to a yellow color instead. He gripped his weapon in is hand with such force, his knuckles turned white.

_I need to say something that will really set him off. If my theory is true, all he needs is a little push in the right direction. Sorry to do this to you Lucas, but you'll thank me later. _"Oh I got it, you weren't too busy fighting the army! You were obsessed that your hair was perfect right? After all of that time and work that you put into it, it still looks like _crap! _Does your new shampoo recipe include daffodils and ladybugs? I can totally see the result 'cause all the leaves and twigs sticking out of your hair makes it look like you rolled in the dirt. HAH!" She readied her PSI and was prepared to direct it at the now enraged blond.

"Shut it Kumatora." He warned sternly through gritted teeth. Something peculiar was happening to him. He had gathered plenty of energy to fire off a large psychic wave but was suppressing it along with his increasing rage. This caused yellow and blue colored electricity to begin sparking around his body, enveloping him in an electrified aura. This had never occurred before not even when he used his normal abilities.

Kumatora saw this which meant she had triggered something so her plan was working. She took a few steps back.

Boney was terrified at what he was witnessing. (Oh no what did I do to him? It's all my fault!) He whined and began to retreat into the woods.

"Oh is that a _threat_? Ha that's cute. Almost as cute as you look when you wear your Awesome equipment with those pinks and yellows. No wonder those Pigmasks never took you seriously and laughed at you face when they saw you. It must have been pretty hilarious looking at your awkward appearance and seeing how _'menacing' _you looked to them. I would have laughed too if I was on their side. Once I actually heard them say something like, 'oh nice outfit kid *snort*, did your _**mommy **_pick it out—'"

"I SAID SHUT-UP KUM_**AAAAAHHH!**_**"**

Just before he yelled the final words, Kumatora shouted, "Offense_ Down α!_" while directing it to the outraged psychic teen. She extended her arm out while releasing an orange colored psychic wave and made a downwards motion with her arm, manipulating the wave to do the same. She had sent her influence making his attack weaker. Her non-damaging strategy had landed a critical hit on its target, perfectly timed as well because any later, the attack would have been much stronger.

The level of energy that Lucas collected had exceeded the amount that he could currently control and as a result there was a burst of yellow light that backfired. It had sent him several feet backward and he staggered and fell on his hands and knees and they trembled from the recoil of the discharge. He had fallen victim to his own over charged power and accidentally electrocuted himself, taking the full force of the blast. He shut his eyes in pain as he soon discovered he was paralyzed and tears were forming in the corners of his eyes. He finally collapsed on the ground after losing a feud with his own body, trying to compel it it stay up.

"Lucas!" Kumatora shouted as she rushed to aid him. She knelt down on the ground and flipped him over onto his back while receiving a few shocks from the static electricity still sparking on his body. His face, along with his clothes were now covered in soot.

"*cough* Wh—wha. . . was that j—just. . .d—did I just. . ?" He was unable to finish his sentence out of pure disbelief and partial paralysis. He was blinded by the sun's light and could not open his eyes until Kumatora moved into view.

The princess had the most wicked expression on her face. "Congratulations Lucas! You are now a _partial _PSI wielder of _PK Thunder_. Your first elemental PSI!" After seeing what this had resulted in she added, "We are gonna have to work on it."

"B—b—but h—h**oww**?" Even though his entire body was numb, he hissed at the stinging he could still feel from his electric burns.

"Ugh do I have to explain everything to you? Fine but first let's get you all fixed up."

Lucas tried moving his arm in an attempt to summon his healing PSI but his body did not respond. He winced at the pain and had tears streaming down the side of his face. A tear had trickled to his ear and he found that uncomfortable.

"Hey cut that out you idiot, you'll hurt yourself even more! It's my fault this happened so at least let me heal you." She stood up and allowed two finger tips to spark with healing energy. "_Healing α."_

The young boy shivered as the energy penetrated his injured body. He began to regain his sense of feeling and after she administered another _Healing α_, the paralysis was lifted. He sat up and leaned to one side on his arm to allow himself off the gritty earth. Kumatora then muttered, "_Life-up β" _in order to heal the boy's wounds. The relief was not immediate as he had to wait for the assist PSI to take it's full effect. It would take a few minutes as he had taken a moderate amount of damage.

"First of all that attack was supposed to hit _me_ but somehow you were unable to release it so you ended up hitting yourself instead. Too bad you didn't have the Franklin Badge equipped on you. Seeing how this turned out, you have only realized a portion of the attack and like I said before, you are gonna have to go through another fever so you can awaken it properly. I suggest not trying it until that happens or you might end up hitting yourself again. Second, I had to make you feel under pressure for you to access that power. Sorry I had to say all of that mean stuff but it was necessary to trigger something you might not have been able to access on your own. But now you are a step closer to using that awesome power. How sweet is that?"

She was too busy with her explanation she did not bother looking at him until now. The smile she had faded away as she saw the blond's emotional state.

He had stood there and listened to her in silence, while his face was directed at the ground and covered in shadow. Kumatora eyed the small drops in the dirt falling from his face. "L—Lucas. . ." She did not have to ask him why. Part of being psychic was how feeling what the other felt also aroused the same emotions within the other. She felt his emotional pain from that day again. The day when they had reached the Seventh Needle and had their final encounter with the one who hid his face behind a mask. He had also used devastatingly powerful PSI and had fired the same electric attack more than once at them. Then when he purposefully allowed his own mortal electric attack to backfire, ultimately leading to his downfall. This emotional pain was still tender and stung many times more than the burns did. To be reminded of the way the Masked Man had fallen, to endure the exact same psychic attack that took him down by a similar scenario just now was unbearable.

Kumatora had executed her plan without considering if the boy was okay with it and ignoring how he would react. She did not want to let him know about the idea or it might not have worked. Now she saw her mistake had reminded him of that trauma and she felt helpless. She did not know how to handle being around people who were sad and was not sure what to say to him. But then she thought of something she could do that might make him feel better. So she walked up to him and put her hand on his shoulder.

He immediately embraced her and began sobbing into her sweater still trembling with sorrow. In the past, he would have run off to cry somewhere else but he could not deny emotional support in this moment. Kumatora had a look of surprise as she had not expected him to break down this way and her arms were raised to her sides almost as if she wanted to avoid him but his grip was too tight. Kumatora eventually lowered her arms and rubbed his back allowing him to let it out. He had finally released his built up fury that had been collected for days through the use of his power and now he had to cry the rest of his bottled up emotions out. She was not going to ask about his reasons for being angry and now was not the appropriate time. She could not understand his turmoil until he was willing to talk to her about it. So she said nothing. Instead she picked out the now singed leaves and twigs entangled in his hair. She had not lied to him about that while spewing insults. She suspected they had gotten there while he was rushing through the forest. The princess knew he would never allow his hair to get too messy as long as he could help it.

Boney had returned and peeked behind a tree. He saw his boy crying and walked up to him with his head hanging down. He let out a whine while scratching at Lucas's leg and once again removed his bandanna to offer it to the boy. Lucas broke away from Kumatora this time accepting Boney's offering and used it to wipe his face. This seemed to calm him down.

"I'm so sorry Lucas. If I wasn't so blunt, I wouldn't have—"

"N—no." He interrupted, "It's good that you did. *sniff*" He knew Kumatora was trying to help in her own ill—mannered way and without her toughness around he would always be a weakling and might never discover his potential on his own.

She waited a bit longer for the boy to regain his composure before speaking again. "So what do you think? That PSI sure packs a punch doesn't it? Good thing I weakened you or you might have knocked yourself out and I don't know _Healing γ _like you do. I would have to drag you to Kokori Hot-Spring."

He wiped his last tear away and finally allowed himself to smile. "Heh, heh. You wouldn't even be able to do that without Boney helping you. Who's hand would he be holding then?"

"Ha ha, that's true."

Releasing that energy had made him feel much better, like when the sky was cleared from storm clouds after a along period of rain and lighting. He had also felt this similarity earlier, after his demonstration with Steve. But this was much greater, like a heavy load had lifted off his shoulders. Kumatora was almost always right and he was thankful to have a friend like her.

Now that his face was cleaned up, he began patting the soot away from his clothes.

"But like I said, you have to stay away from trying to use that PSI Lucas until you fully unlock it. Once that happens, let me know so we can start your training."

"Training? What kind of training?"

"You'll see."

Boney had gone to fetch the boy's stick that he had dropped during his outburst. He ran to hand it to Lucas but instead Kumatora snatched it from his mouth. "You know what? Scratch that. Your training starts _now_."

"Huh? Right now?"

"_Yes_ now. You're here already so let's make use of the time. We don't have any more to waste." She took a step back, preparing an activity plan. "Your warm-up was dodging that PK Freeze. So now we are gonna do some actual work. So here is your first task."

If that was the warm-up, he feared what tasks she had in mind.

"I always see you hauling you stick around as if you were Lighter. But you need to always have your hands free. So your first task is to carry this stick without using your hands."

"What? How am I supposed to do that?" He replied without thinking, already knowing the answer.

"Really? You're psychic aren't you?" So Kumatora demonstrated by holding it out on her palm and allowing it to levitate over her hand. "I'm going to release it and you have to prevent it from touching the ground." That was simple enough for him. He had already done that today with the bundle of eggs and even his father. So once she let it go he extended his arm and continued to allow it to float in the air.

"That's too easy. Okay now put your hand down."

But using his hand was allowing him to keep it steady! He began moving his arm down and his stick began to lean to one side. He used more effort to keep it evenly in the air. Doing it this way took more concentration so he stared at it intensely not allowing himself to blink.

Kumatora noticed this and added. "Hm alright that's good. Now _close your eyes_."

Okay now that sounded a bit harder to do. "Uhh. . ." He shut one eye first and slowly began to close the other. The stick began to shake slightly but was still maintained in the air. Performing this was more challenging than he thought.

"Hmph pretty good. Now keep holding it. The goal of this exercise is to have you mind constantly manipulating something to the point you do it without thinking. From now on, I want you to carry your stick around using telekinesis for as long as you can. This way, you use your PSI more often so you avoid building up too much energy." While she spoke, she walked around him examining his posture and performance. She noticed he was clenching his fists and his eyes were shut too tight. She was certain she had not heard him take a breath. "Hey Lucas relax! This is just an exercise you don't have to prove anything to me."

"Ppaaahhh." He finally released his breath and took some gulps of air before allowing his sick to fall to the ground. Using PK Thunder for the first time took a lot out of him, this was true of any new PSI, and after not using that energy for a long time, had also reduced his stamina. He was beginning to feel tired and hungry and allowed himself to fall back and sat on the ground. Boney joined him as his tail wagged and Lucas reached out to pet him. The boy regretted his earlier behavior to his friend and apologized to Boney in and unspoken way. Boney was just happy that his boy was alright.

Kumatora let out a "Hmph." and used telekinesis to allow the stick to speed through the air to her hand. "You'll work on it." And handed his stick back to him.

Lucas looked over his branch and was surprised his weapon was unscathed by the lightning attack. Its leaves were as green as ever and unsinged. Kumatora noticed the puzzlement on his face and determined his thoughts using telepathy. So she sat across from him on the ground, crisscrossing her legs and provided an explanation.

"Your Better Stick is fine because I provided it with defensive properties."

"Huh?" He did not expect her to answer his unasked question. He found annoyance that she kept reading his mind. "How can you do that? You don't know _Defense Up _do you?"

She had a grin on her face. "Don't have to. You can do all kinds of stuff with your PSI Lucas. By manipulating the PSI you already have in ways that it wasn't meant to be. Like for example since I only know _Offense _and _Defense down, _I use it as a base so I can draw my source of power from there to kind of _inverse_ it slightly to have an opposite effect. So I used a little technique to cover your stick with a layer of energy so it is more resistant against attacks and make the object it is _hitting_ to become weaker. Every time it lands a blow, it will be like it is administering a little of that _Defense down_ energy. It will also take a few more blows before it goes back to its original state and the PSI will have to be replenished. By manipulating it yourself, it is possible that you can make it deal more damage which could be an alternative to powering up yourself in battle using _Offense up_. You can also learn how too inverse effects too and I will show you once you're ready."

"Wow Kuma, that's _amazing_! I never knew that was possible." _You're too smart._

"No I'm not that smart. I just had a good teacher. Ionia taught me almost all of the principles that I know about this power." She expressed a reminiscent tone when mentioning her adoptive parent. Like how Lucas lost his mother, she had also lost someone who had cared for her. It was not as tragic as Lucas's case and Ionia and Kumatora knew it was time to depart. But it still saddened her that she didn't get the chance to say a proper good-bye because the situation they had been in.

Lucas knew she must have felt this and it hurt him to know that Kumatora had been orphaned at infancy and she never knew her birth parents. Her adoptive parents were. . . _Quirky_ to say the least and had their own unique lifestyles. She never adopted their ways but appreciated what they had done for her. Now Kumatora was alone; she had no one to call a family. She was just another awkward teen with psychic powers like Lucas, and not even the title of "princess" seemed to fit her appropriately. Her personality was everything but proper etiquette. She did not even have royal blood and that title was just the role she was assigned when she arrived here along with the others from the White Ship. He thought about all of this and saw the similarities they shared even that they had both realized their PSI thanks to Ionia. He never had feelings for her in _that_ way and was actually terrified of what she might do to him if he ever displayed feelings that he _liked_ her. But this was not the case. Lucas thought of her as an older sister; an older sister that he never had.

She sniffed a little but did not allow herself to cry. She was too tough for that. He considered himself lucky that he had witnessed her crying once before. "Lucas I will _kill _you if you start feeling sorry for me. You got it?" She raised a threatening fist at him as if to throw a punch.

"W—what? Yeah, yeah, got it! I'm not thinking anything like that!" _Quit reading my mind!_

"I can't, you make it too easy. And that's another thing. You gotta learn the ins and outs of setting up mental barriers. What if there is some sort of 'Psychic Psycho' out there who is mind controlling everyone and he gets a hold of you!" _Oh damn it, _she thought. She had used the improper words, "Mind Control" which she considered words that would trigger the boy's trauma again. So she made an attempt to quickly shift what she was saying. "What I meant to say was, you never know when you might encounter another who is capable of messing with your head. You have to be prepared to defend your mind just like you defend your body. And this is another thing that is essential to know. You complained earlier that you couldn't learn anything new because things got in the way. So guess what? A new threat has appeared and we have less time to get ready to kick some ass again! The town needs us again to help save their lazy assess and by the time I'm done with you, you're gonna storm in there busting your new PSI like a bad ass! Yeah!"

She pumped her arm out in front of herself finishing up her, what Lucas thought to be an attempt at a motivational speech. He had not known it was possible to use that "A" word in as many different and creative ways as she did but she was able to pull it off without sounding too offensive.

Lucas raised an eyebrow and his applause was filled with sarcasm. "Are you finally done so we can continue?" He crossed his arms showing that he was capable of growing impatient.

"I was just stalling for time so you could rest up little baby."

They always threw their banter back and forth, keeping their conversations lively and interesting. Kumatora had so much spunk; there was never a dull moment while alongside her.

"Alright, hup to it then! Get up and do it again, for longer this time. Don't forget to breath, straighten up your back and loosen up a little."

His next few attempts went better than his first one. The process seemed easier with every try. Once she saw he was getting the hang of it, Kumatora began instructing him to move it to a specific direction. She allowed him to open his eyes for this of course. His performance was acceptable but when asked to make the stick rotate on an axis, he was unable to present that ability with success. She took it back a step and allowed him to increase his skill on basic techniques before attempting another task.

He wanted to take another break as he had grown tired but did not dare ask Kumatora. She knew this but wanted to continue to push him for a little longer, knowing that he might not have pushed himself if he were practicing on his own. When she finally believed it to be enough, she caught him by surprise by shouting, "Break time!" That made him break his focus on what he was currently doing which was flinging his stick across the clearing using telekinesis and having Boney fetch it. This way, Boney did not grow bored and Lucas practiced manipulating objects with his mind. He was not worried about damaging it as the protective coat Kumatora had provided was still up.

He finally had the chance to lie down in a patch if soft green grass, Boney curling up beside him. Lying down after his training session was more relaxing than usual. After having his face meet the dirt on several occasions in the same day, (every time resulting in injury) it was a change of pace that he met the ground again, but a different more comfortable facet of it. He gazed up to the sky and examined some of the puffy clouds before realizing it was reaching late afternoon. As he stared at the vast ocean that was the sky, he pondered something Ionia once said when they traveled together briefly in the underground layers of Osohe Castle. "Kuma?" He looked at her direction, needing her attention.

"Hmm." She grunted.

"I was just thinking of something. Something Ionia once said."

Kumatora was currently leaning against a tree trunk. When she heard the blond mention that name, she straightened out, expecting his words to be intriguing. And they were.

"Is it possible to use PSI to. . . _fly_?" He sat up from the grass to face her, curious about how she would respond.

His question made her pull her lips back in a scowl. It was difficult to read her body language and he was unable to read her mind. But Lucas was certain she was not interested in answering that question. She went back to a more relaxed state closing her eyes, refusing to reply.

So Lucas pushed on, his curiosity growing. "Because I did hear Ionia mention it before, when she was tied up in that coil spring thing. She said something about being unable to fly because she was missing something?" He could not remember what the last words had been but he thought that if they were able to obtain whatever it was Ionia mentioned, then they would also be guaranteed the power of flight.

"Make-up."

"What?"

"She was missing her Magic Make-up."

He started laughing after remembering that was exactly what she said and now thinking of the absurdity. _How in the Nowhere Islands could she do something like that?_

"I don't know, how did they do anything? The Magypsies were an _offbeat _race of people Lucas, any concoction they could come up with was insane! They had made all kinds of stuff. Stuff with no reasonable explanation. Hell when I was little, they didn't like how my hair looked so they made some potion or whatever it was to change its color. With one drop, my hair turned _pink_! But that wasn't it. Whatever that gunk had made it so my hair kept _growing _pink_ permanently_." She pulled at her hair to emphasize her point. Now Lucas wondered what her original hair color must have been.

"They never explained a lot of stuff to me, and I wasn't interested in a lot of the _weird _shit they said. That make-up thing being one of them."

Now this made sense to Lucas, she _hated_ anything that would make her appearance seem too effeminate as it would eliminate her tom-boyish persona. She would rather deny the ability to fly if it involved wearing any amount of mascara on her face.

"Ionia did try to put some on me once so I ran away for a few days." She said this casually like it was not an issue. Now Lucas considered how many times she must have run away.

"Then when I was under cover at Club Titiboo, I had to apply the stuff to be an employee. I hated every minute of it." As much as she despised this, it was essential for their mission for her to be at the club while also keeping her true identity secret. She was willing to take one for the team in that situation and Lucas found this to be noble of her.

He was still willing to push for an appropriate answer even after seeing how annoyed she had become. "But you still didn't answer my question. Can you or can you not use PSI to fly?" He was persistent on the topic.

She rolled her eyes at him. He must have had some guts to continue asking after she made it obvious that she was becoming irritated at all of his questions. She had to give him credit for that.

"Yes. . . and no."

"Okay now I'm confused."

She let out a sigh at an attempt to relieve herself of possible frustration. "Technically, yes it is possible to use PSI to fly _but_," She lifted up a finger, "In order to do so, you would have to use a crazy amount of energy constantly. I just saw you strain yourself after throwing a stick around for a few minutes with telekinesis which means you wouldn't be able handle flight. Levitation is one thing; _flying_ is something _way_ out of your league." Then she muttered, "And mine for that matter."

_I didn't strain myself. _"But _why_?"

"There is a limit to how high you can levitate right? And the higher you go, the harder it gets to ascend. The reason being that as you rise, your mind has to maintain that constant force on your body while directionaly influencing your movement. On top of that, you also have to deal with all sorts of interfering elements like wind to even keep yourself steady. Remember, this is after you manage to push yourself that high. Your limited stamina would prevent you from going too far. It's like trying to fight the waves of the ocean when you can barely manage to stay afloat by the shoreline. They will always knock you over and push you deeper. Then when you finally pass that wave, there is a bigger, stronger one.

"Descending is even harder as you have to fight the force of gravity so it doesn't pull you at a hundred kilometers per hour. Remember, the higher you are, the faster you continue to fall. I would advise against falling from that high altitude, you'll deplete all of your energy before you even stop yourself. Unless you have an unlimited power source or can extend the duration of your energy output, you should not try it out. Only if you like skydiving and the last time I checked, we ended up separated or captured when we all fell from so high."

"Whoa. Has anyone been able to do it before?"

"No. Not on these islands. The Magypsies used their potions and stuff to have the same effect. They didn't need to use PSI for that."

He looked down in disappointment. He would have loved trying it out. It was better to know that it was possible like Kumatora said, but extremely difficult based on her description. It must have required training and practice unlike any he had experienced.

"On second thought, maybe it could be possible for you to attempt flight. But that would take _a lot_ of practice."

His thoughts exactly. He looked up his face telling her what his next question was so he did not bother asking.

"Meditation is the key. If you want that ability, you would have to meditate for many hours while levitating in place. Eventually with enough practice, it would slowy become effortless."

Oh so _that_ is why Kumatora did not want to talk about the subject. Lucas knew about her impatience and how she failed in that aspect when she practiced PSI with the Magypsies.

"Why would you even _want _to fly when there is something better?"

"Huh? No way." Flying was the ultimate way of traveling. What could possibly be greater?

"No joke. Haven't you ever heard of _teleportation_?"

He shook his head.

"The Magypsies knew how to teleport but it was one PSI technique they never showed me. They feared I would use it to run away and never come back, which was probably true. They preferred not to use it since they loved the thrill of flying and just finding an excuse to use make-up."

"So what is teleportation?"

"It is the ability to transport yourself from one location to another almost instantly; in the process, you vanish from point A warping and appearing at point B. That's essentially the gist of it."

"That sounds painful." He said nervously.

"Oh it is! One wrong move and you could accidentally teleport one half of your body while the other stays behind."

Lucas did not want to think about that but it was too late as a still image flickered in his imagination lighting an odious picture for a brief moment. Why did she have to describe it that way?

She caught a glimpse of his thoughts and chuckled. "Man Lucas, you can be so gullible."

"How am I supposed to know what to believe? I'm still kind of new to all of this!"

"'Kind of'. You are _really _new to all this." He gave her a dirty look and then saw she had winked at him. "And yet you're _awesome _at it."

"Huh?" He did not expect this remark. He anticipated more of her usual taunting.

"You really are gonna make me say it aren't you? You—Kicked—Some—Hard—Ass hands down! And this was right after you discovered your powers! You basically took on an entire army on your own and beat them fuck-cryin' out loud! Of course I was there to help, but you busted out the big guns. We would have been toast many times over if you hadn't been there." She paused, almost stopping herself from admitting something she always thought to be true, but found he needed to hear this coming from her in an attempt to boost his much needed confidence. "Sometimes I envy you Lucas. . . you are just _gifted. _I trained for years and practiced a ton to know as much as I do. Then when I met you the first time back then in Sunshine Forest and you brought those Dragos and saved Wess, Salsa and me, that was a very amazing and heroic thing you did for people you hardly knew. And you did it without any powers (well maybe besides telepathy to talk with the Dragos). I didn't know much then, but I did get the feeling there was way more to you. And I was right 'cause you ended up always being capable of performing a level of PSI that not even the Magypsies could reach. Your PSI is stronger than mine already and you haven't even trained properly yet. Imagine what you could do if you practiced. You would be so _powerful_."

He found his mouth to be hanging open and forcibly closed it. He was in utter disbelief of what she had just admitted to him. She. Was. Right. He noticed this pattern now and this made him think about his accomplishments in a way he never thought of before. Realizing this, he did not feel comfortable with himself fearing what he could become. He looked down and muttered, "But I don't want all of that power."

"Whether you want it or not, it's yours. Might was well put it to good use." She felt his inner dread and added, "And never fear yourself, _ever!_ Use this as motivation to become better to help not destroy. Embrace who you are and you will never lose yourself."

The young psychic sat there, crossing his arms over his knees and leaned his chin on them. He felt something wet rub his forearm and turned to face his canine companion. Boney wanted to be scratched so Lucas reached over and rubbed his ear. He thought about Kumatora's words. There was an inner conflict occurring within him. Should he take his father's advice and just try to go back to things as they were before and pretend like none of this ever happened? Or should he listen to Kumatora and practice PSI. He did not want to go against his father's wishes, seeing that they were slowly building their relationship back together again like father and son should be. But Kumatora was right and he could not continue to lie to himself and act like everything would turn out okay when everything they knew was a _lie_, and they had to rebuild _everything _they once knew.

"But anyway, you might actually be able to perform teleportation if we could somehow learn to do it. Apparently only the _best _ PSI users are capable of executing it successfully." She leaned back and sighed. "Too bad there aren't any others around. I would have really loved to know that technique. Then I would have been able to leave and go somewhere _beyond _the Nowhere Islands."

"Beyond? Where to?"

"Anywhere but here. Now that we know there is much more out there, looks like it's time for another adventure. I would never get tired or bored ever again of the same old thing. Who knows what kind of super awesome things exist on the other side of the world. Or who we'll meet. Maybe there is someone else out there who needs our help."

This made sense to Lucas seeing it from her perspective. She was a free spirit and would always seek adventure or danger where she could. He thought if there was anything that blocked her path to her goal, there would be nothing to stop her from blasting it out of her way. Based on his experiences in the past few months, he enjoyed adventure too but he also feared the dangers he could face or the obstacles he would encounter. He did not see himself leaving any time soon.

"Don't you want to get outta here too Luke? I mean if you had the option to go right now, would you ditch Tazmily?"

"I couldn't abandon the village if it needs me now Kuma!"

"I'm not talking about that. Say there was no danger and everyone was absolutely safe, would you leave?"

"Eh—" He was hesitant. He felt he could not leave this soon after what had transpired. He could not do that to his father. If he did leave, what could possibly be out there for some misfit like him? He looked to Boney for his opinion, which he provided a wag of the tail and louder panting.

(I'll go wherever you go!)

"I say you blow this popsicle stand. They don't like you anyway." She stated in a laid—back manner. "Might as well do what they want. They won't annoy you and you won't be around to be an eye sore." Kumatora did not believe him to be a nuisance. She was just being honest in her own way and saying what everyone in the village thought but never had the courage to say.

He thought of the possibility of him leaving in silence for a few minutes while petting Boney. He finally withdrew his hand and stood up. "It's getting late, we should get going." He directed the last phrase at the brown labrador.

Kumatora shifted her eyes and raised an eyebrow. "Meh, if you think so but I guess it's been enough training for one day. We'll pick this up another time. Tomorrow we should head over to talk with Wess and find out where Duster headed off to." She stood as well and dusted off her long sweater. "We should meet up at the Station tomorrow morning." She turned around and began walking into the forest. "See ya then Luke." And waved without turning back.

"W-wait, Kumatora!" But she was already gone. She was not good with good-byes. He could have sworn he just blinked and she disappeared. The boy let out a deep sigh filled with melancholy. He was also feeling the exhaustion taking effect. He thought of no better way to relax than a visit to Kokori Hot Spring. But he did not forget about paying a visit first.

He began walking in the direction he had taken to arrive here, his dog following close behind. As he walked up to the trees, where the clearing ended, he saw the unfortunate tree that had been shot with ice hours ago. Most of the ice had become a puddle and the remaining small fragments were still melting. As he passed by, he caught sight of his reflection in the small pool of water. His hair was not looking too good anymore and the face that stared back had scrapes and dirt and seemed weary and deprived of something. But he noticed something else as well. Something that previously had not been there. His eyes seemed to contain luminescence they had not possessed before. He blinked and it was gone and saw his same old eyes stare back. He shut them and shook his head, believing he was seeing things due to fatigue. He shrugged it off and turned to look at the path and walked into the trees. Boney following with the boy's stick in his mouth.

* * *

End Notes:

Writing this chapter one was a lot of fun. Mostly because I like writing for Kumatora. This was a much longer chapter so it took me a while to put it out. Hopefully this is the longest I will go. I don't want to exceed 10,000 words per chapter. This chapter alone is 19 pages single spaced 12pt font Times New Roman just to give you an idea. For some this is nothing but for me, it's _a lot. _I don't think I have written something so long and continuous in my life. Also much of what I have written so far has taken me months. Yeah _months._ So future chapters might take a while longer to be updated because I have to write them up then go through all of my writing and edit it myself just to make sure everything makes sense (like the plot) and grammar is proper and all of that good stuff.

I know that I mentioned this is a crossover and everything has been about _Mother 3_ so far but trust me that I intend to get the the Smash Bros. part. It might take some time.

But anyway, thanks for taking the time to read this! I mostly wanted to do this project because I wanted to take on a personal challenge to improve my writing and I find a lot of fun just doing it. I also had sudden ideas that explain the period between the ending of the game and Lucas's inclusion in Smash Brawl and wanted to put them together. Even if this doesn't get many readers, I have the intention of taking it much further.

Thanks again for taking the time to read and enjoy your day! :)


	5. A Visit to the Sunflowers

Chapter 5: A Visit to the Sunflowers

Light poured into his vision as the young boy escaped the sea of trees and shrubs. He had returned to the area which he had used to enter the forest which was the courtyard of the once standing castle. Good that he had not lost his way this time. He looked to his panting friend and noticed the brown dog holding something of his in between his teeth. It had completely slipped his mind, and if it was not for his labrador, it would have been left behind at the training area.

"Thanks buddy, I can carry it now." He tried retrieving the stick from the chocolate colored dog but as he pulled it from his mouth, drool stretched and dripped on the ground. It caused Lucas to avert his eyes and hold his stick with caution avoiding the wet substance. He shook it in the air attempting to shake off as much of it as possible while the rest he wiped off with Boney's bandanna that he still carried. He was going to have to wash it later.

"Uhgg good thing Kumatora added that protective layer." Mentioning the tomboyish princess reminded him of her instructions of using telekinesis to carry his weapon. But he felt too tired so he continued to hold it normally even though it was now slippery and uncomfortable to hold. "She would punch me right now if she knew I refused her directions."

They walked through the debris and over the drawbridge as they entered the graveyard. From this path, the same fork from before which he had avoided came into his field of view. Finally he could take his time to pay a proper visit. To the left were decaying remains of Nippolyte's home that had fallen victim to the army's plans and had been struck by lightning not much differently than what happened to Lucas's own home. Nippolyte was the humble grave keeper, much of his personality unknown to many as he mostly kept to himself.

The boy stepped off the path of the graveyard and immediately the ground was no longer an ash gray but instead green with short grass. He approached the overlook, the sun in the far distance was slowly beginning to descend. At the edge was a tombstone, a well kept one unlike the others in the graveyard. It had fresh flowers at it's base. Lucas got closer and what was written on it soon became visible:

_ Hinawa_

_ Wife of Flint_

_ Mother of the twins_

_ Claus and Lucas_

_ Daughter of Alec_

_ May the beautiful Hinawa rest in peace here for all time._

Lucas knelt at the grave and swiped the tombstone with his hand attempting to put aside any dirt that might have accumulated in the last few hours. The fresh flowers meant his father had also payed a visit recently. "Hi Mom." He said quietly. As he stared down, a vivid memory played in his head:

_There is bright freshly grown grass that seems to glow as water drops reflect the rays of the sun like tiny shards of glass. The breeze washes over the heat of the day as two young boys stand side-by-side with a brown dog across from them. The dog seems to be interested in the boys' scent and sniffs at something on the floor. Then a beautiful woman wearing a red dress steps out of the house and calls to the boys using few words. The boys glance at each other and run to the house leaving the labrador standing alone and barking after them. . ._

Boney's whine broke Lucas from his silence and immobility. He turned to face his right where there were many planted sunflowers; his mother's favorite. He was the one who kept them so lively for her. Upon closer inspection, he noticed the ones that were beginning to wilt. It was time to harvest them before the seeds were taken by another. He set his stick down and chose the ones that were ready to be removed. It was difficult to cut them without a knife so instead he heated the stem using energy until the flowers were easy to pull off. Their loose petals drifted away, caught by the current of the wind. Lucas saw as they swirled over his head and into the air above the overlook. He watched them until they were in the distance and out of sight then he went back to cutting the golden petaled plants. In total he had collected seven flowers, some larger than others. He needed to hold them with care as to not shake them for fear of loosing the precious seeds. These flowers were special as they had originated from Hinawa's own batch of seeds. That was generations of flowers ago, but these seeds were the descendants of her own flowers. The boy wanted to keep his mother's legacy alive.

Now he needed the use of both hands and finally took Kumatora's advice. Though he was mentally tired, he set the flowers down and picked up his stick. He thought of the best way to do this so he lifted his stick over his shoulder and on his back. Focusing his telekinetic energy, he managed to leave the branch levitating in place behind him. This way he no longer had to make contact with the residue that Boney caused. He allowed it to stick out over his right shoulder in case he needed to draw it quickly. He had done this in the past so it was nothing new but he preferred not to when out in his journey in order to conserve his energy. There was always that uncertainty of when he would get an opportunity to rest to restore it.

Lucas walked over to the left side of the Overlook, an area he had avoided until now. Close by the grave that he had just respected, another one was standing under a newly planted sapling; a much newer grave with another collection of flowers next to it. It was smaller than the one in the middle but just as much was engraved on it:

_Claus_

_ Son of Flint and Hinawa_

_ Twin brother of Lucas_

_Grandson of Alec_

_ May the brave young Claus be at peace for all time._

His downcast gaze could no longer emit tears. All he could do was close them and remember what once was:

_On a grassy ridge beside a river runs a boy with orange hair. He removes his shirt and shoes then with a running start, dives into the water. Just after him, another boy with blond hair does the same but pauses at the edge and holds his nose before jumping in. Their dog barks down at them from atop—_

Lucas opened his eyes, cutting the memory short. He no longer wanted to _just remember_. Things should not have happened the way they did. He felt more anger rise within him begging to be released with another psychic outburst. The air grew dense and Boney felt the pressure and took a few steps back while cowering in fear. But soon his unfounded anger was replaced by grief and the boy tried to calm down. He would not allow this to happen to himself here. This was a place of respect and peace. Not of anger and confusion.

"I'm sorry C-C-Cl. . ." He began as he took a knee. He could not even bring himself to speak his brother's name. "If I wasn't such a _coward. . ._" He spat. Countless times he had blamed himself for what happened and every time he thought of this, he remembered some of his brother's final words.

"_I'm sorry. . . It's not your fault. . . I was too hasty. . . It's okay now. . ."_

His brother would not have wanted Lucas to feel guilt. Claus would have wanted him to get up and stop moping around and crying. He would have wanted him to show the world who he was and continue moving forward. Lucas understood and accepted what was. He could not do anything to change it and knew he needed to strive for what was better. Being present here reminded him of that. It was what Claus would have done and what his mother would be proud of him for doing. He stood up briskly, his face with renewed determination. He increased the strength of his grip on the wilting sunflowers, some seeds falling from the center. He faced the sapling and allowed himself a small smile. If Claus were here, he would have reminded Lucas not to cry _too _much. Whenever Lucas was sad, he would have encouraged his timid brother to do something with him to feel better. One of those things would be climbing trees. Lucas was never as good as his brother was, but it was always fun anyway. The blond inspected the small tree before turning to Boney and nodding. Then they marched out of the Sunset Overlook.

End note:

I know this is a very short chapter but the next one will make up for it. It was originally part of the next chapter but then I thought it deserved to be its own. I'm still working on the next part. See you then!


	6. The Danger in Lighting a Flame

Chapter 6: The Danger in Lighting a Flame

The sky was becoming a darker blue and the clouds were beginning to shift in color to pinks and oranges. The afternoon breeze was let loose and it streamed though the sky. The boy and the dog were caught off guard by this as they passed the gates of the graveyard. They both shielded their eyes from the debris that the wind carried. Lucas used one arm to carefully handle the cut and wilting sunflowers while he used his other arm to place over his vision. Boney just closed his eyes and turned away then let out a violent sneeze. The sound the lab made had caused Lucas to smile in spite of himself.

As the sudden gust drifted away, Lucas used his free hand and reached into his pocket to pull out a strip of Double Jerky. Besides his morning meal, he had not eaten all day and his appetite had returned after all the activity in the forest including his small training session. This was not expected and he thought he might have stayed sick all day so he would not have the desire to eat. But after having a better understanding of why he was ill, he did not have to worry about his ailment being caused by something else.

Knowing that Boney always wanted to eat, Lucas gave him the other half of the jerky from before so he would not complain. Boney devoured it immediately and was quickly scolded by his boy. "Hey slow down! Just because you eat it fast, doesn't mean I'm gonna give you more." The labrador just eyed Lucas's strip. The boy pulled back his hand, turned away from his dog and took a bite, ignoring the longing look his companion was giving him.

When on their journey, Lucas had very little trust in Boney when it came to carrying edible items. Sometimes without warning, Boney would snack on them and when he needed to retrieve them from his friend, they were no where to be found. Eventually he did not allow the brown dog the privilege of carrying such items.

This thought aside, Lucas wanted to drop off the flowers at home before he went to Kokori Hot-Spring so he did not take a right as he headed south on the path. As he approached the train station, he heard some activity occurring on the drop-off deck. Loud complaints and moans resonated from that spot.

"What do you mean the train won't run for another three days! This is an outrage!"

The blond stopped and saw the crowd that was gathered in the area. He turned to the next person who spoke which was the usual conductor of the train.

"I'm sorry everyone but workers have to finish some construction on the suspension bridge along the tracks. The temporary bridge that was in place will no longer suffice with the transportation demands and it could become a hazard if we don't place a more permanent one. Everyone is going to have to cooperate while repairs are happening. Until the new bridge is standing, we are going to have to halt transportation."

"We have already been waiting all day to board the train and this news is barely given to us now? Why were we not informed earlier?" Said a voice that Lucas seemed familiar with.

"We can't afford to wait three days! Supplies were ordered to be delivered and we were also expecting shipment to arrive tomorrow!" Another voice spoke out.

Lucas did not know the train had been running before. He had passed by the station earlier that day believing that it had been closed for a while. He was out of touch with what happened in town and had not known that the train _had _been running just recently.

Feeling the irritation among the group, he did what was natural; attempt to help. The young psychic thought of a way that might help the citizens come to an alternative to their dilemma since he was familiar with different ways of getting around. He was usually shy, but if the situation needed his aid, he would break that part of his character but only temporarily. He wanted to speak out but there were many others who continued to voice their complaints and none of them could be well understood.

The conductor raised his arms and motioned them downward to calm the crowd. When he spoke he increased the volume of his voice. "People, people, please! One at a time! We aren't going to settle this if everyone is speaking at once."

They had seemed to quiet down and Lucas saw this opportunity to voice his opinion. "Umm excuse me everyone, but there is a way that you can get to the other side without boarding the train." He was met with stares as he spoke but ignored this fact and continued. "Just as you enter, to the north there is an entrance to a series of tunnels and if you follow them though, they lead to the highway. From there you can go to many other locations in the east."

If they were not looking at him before, they were now. What he had just said was ignored by the fact that his current appearance did not bode well with all of them. Everyone just looked at the scruffy boy with dirt all over his clothes with what seemed like a stray dog at his side. Then they eyed the seemingly dead flowers.

He now realized he should not have said or done anything that might have drawn attention to himself, especially as he appeared now. Much of the negativity that hung in the air now seemed to be directed at the blond.

Many citizens either looked away or completely ignored him. He accidentally heard some thoughts that were floating among them like a bad odor.

_(Oh great it's _Lucas _again.) _

_(Who does this kid think he is, telling _adults _what to do.)_

_(Poor boy, doesn't his _mother _wash his clothes for him?)_

_(This kid shouldn't meddle in affairs that don't concern him.)_

The conductor cleared his throat, not even acknowledging the boy's suggestion. Lucas could not help but sense a thought from the back of his mind as well. _(I didn't know there were people in this town that were _this _poor.)_

Many thoughts of loathing and pity soon filled the boy's head but covering his ears would not stop him from hearing it. As hard as it was, he tried cutting off his connection to his powers as if to turn them off temporarily. It was not as effective as he would have wanted. This seemed to quiet down the voices penetrating his mind. Of course his stick fell to the ground afterwards due to him releasing his telekinetic hold on it, causing a loud wooden echo to pierce the silence. Boney was quick to pick it up. Now Lucas thought back to what his father had said earlier that day. The warning about reading peoples' thoughts and he had been right. Lucas did not want to hear any of this but at the same time he couldn't help it. He was beginning to think his telepathy was out of his control.

"Please young man, leave this situation to the grown-ups. We will take care of the problem. Now go run off, I'm sure your family is worried sick, you being out this late and all. Being outdoors at this hour is too _dangerous_ for a _kid_ like you."

Lucas did not need to be psychic to sense the obvious _patronizing _tone that the conductor had just given him. All he wanted to do was help and none of these people cared about his opinion, even if it had been a reasonable one.

He could not help but restrain his irritation and attempted to keep a straight face though his eyebrow gave a slight twitch. Lucas did not know it but his eyes let out a flicker of phosphorescent light, something the citizens did not notice either. As much as he felt the urge to object, he knew these people could not be helped and if he continued to try, it would only cause more frustration. So he swallowed his words and turned to continue on the path.

"Now where were we before that little kid had the audacity to interrupt our important discussion. . ."

He approached the sign post that held notices placed by the members of the town. He scanned them quickly, trying to read anything that seemed out of the ordinary. But most of what he read was just about the local shops, and old train schedules and news. Then an idea occurred to him. If Flint had already notified the town about the chimera situation, then it was also important to put up a warning sign where everyone could read it. Unfortunately he did not have the materials necessary to do it at the moment and planned to get the supplies at Thomas's Bazaar after dropping off the flowers. He also considered placing it up when no one else was around so everyone could view the anonymously placed warning sign. They would take heed of random post signs more than if they knew Lucas had written it.

He made a mental note to check the sign post first thing tomorrow morning, just as he had told Steve that he would. He could not be too careful. Before continuing, he thanked Boney for picking up his stick and retrieved it from him and placed it along his back as it was there previously. Lucas was no longer in close proximity with the villagers and did not pick up their thoughts as easily so he considered it safe to activate his telekinesis for his branch.

The stripe-shirted boy stepped into Tazmily Square and noticed the usual amount of activity that came with this time of day. The last of the citizens were running last minute errands to take advantage of the remaining sunlight while others just chatted with neighbors for some brief lighthearted conversations. Some of the usuals were gathered where they were on a daily basis, trying to get one last bit of gossip. He then caught the smell of the local bakery, preparing the last batch of bread so families could prepare the last meal of the day. This encouraged him to get cleaned up quick so he could make it in time to buy some of the sweet raised flour. Now thinking about it, he had some errands to run himself before the day's end.

His focus was now on the refurbished homes and buildings and he thought about how nice they seemed especially when caught by the light of the falling sun. The shadows they cast only added to the warm colors they seemed to reflect. He had not stopped before to appreciate the details as he had been in a rush before. His eyes set on the scenery prevented him from watching where he was going and he bumped his foot against something that was lying on the floor. He felt his shoe bang against a heavy metal object and almost lost his footing. There was the sound of metal tools clinking as they hit the floor. Lucas was more worried about dropping the sunflowers.

"Hey watch it Lucas!"

The boy turned to the angry voice that called his name then shifted his eyes to the ground to see what it was that he hit. The voice belonged to the mayor of the town named Pusher who wore a brown business suit and sunglasses and what Lucas hit was a toolbox filled with an assortment of supplies that ranged from tools to construction items such as screws and nails. He also noticed the shiny polished gray luxury car parked next to his big two-floored house. It's hood was up and there was a repair man fiddling with it's interior. The man seemed restless, and Lucas immediately caught on that he had no idea what he was doing. Also, why would he leave a toolbox in the middle of the path? Aside from seeming incompetent, he was also disorganized.

"Boy you should get out of the handy man's way. Can't you see how busy he is? And you just made his job harder by dropping his tools. Not that he can't handle it, as he is one of the best around and should have my automobile running in no time. Now apologize for getting in his way and making a mess." Pusher demanded while he was just observing the repair man, which seemed to make him more anxious. Of course Pusher would just watch while others did the work as he was the kind of man that would avoid getting his hands dirty as much as possible. If there was someone willing to do the job, he would take it just so he wouldn't have to. No matter how inexperienced or incapable they were. Sometimes Lucas wondered how exactly he got to be mayor.

Many adults like Pusher seemed to be _pushing _him today. "Sorry." Lucas said blatantly. This slightly increased his irritation from before so he added, "Maybe you should tell your _expert_ repair man not to leave his tools on the middle of the road and maybe organize them once in a while."

Pusher did not expect any reply from the blond who was usually shy and would apologize with his face hung down with no rebound phrase. Lucas could sense slight bafflement now emanating from him.

"Besides, I did not even do anything to disturb him. In fact, he should apologize to people for leaving his equipment in a place where it will get in pedestrians' way and _you _should apologize Mr. Pusher for using that tone with them. The mayor has to show respect to all his citizens after all." He could no longer hold back what he wanted to say and had had enough of people treating him like a subordinate citizen. It felt good to say what he wanted and to demonstrate that he was capable of making a valid point by not being rude unlike the mayor. But Pusher did not take it as such.

_(The nerve of this boy.) _"Why you— I'll have you know—"

"Pusher dear, don't waste your time with that little _brat_."

The most supercilious voice that the village contained had just spoken as she walked out of the excessively large house. She wore a black dress with a thin yellow belt and had a light blue scarf along her shoulders. Her lavender hair was styled in a bun. Elmore was just another housewife, always wanting a life of luxury at other people's expenses and one of the few who was not afraid of telling everyone what she thought of them. Lucas was no exception. She had a passionate distaste for him and her disposition towards him would reflect that in whatever way possible. Lucas was use to it by now and he would not allow whatever rude comment she had to say this time, get to him.

"He is not going to understand the complexities of adults' lives and it's obvious he doesn't get the importance of having a running automobile since he has only ever seen one."

What was she talking about now? _No one_ in town had a car besides them. Only recently had the residence of Tazmily been introduced to automobiles. And it was not like there were many roads to drive on in town as everyone walked from place to place. Owning a car around here was an unnecessary luxury item that no one really cared for.

Lucas needed to defend himself and found something to brag about now. He would not stay quiet any longer so just because he wanted to silence this lady and remove that smirk on her face, he replied, "Actually I have ridden on a flying _limousine _before when I was personally invited to the city." Lucas hated mentioning that place but only did it to irritate Elmore. He continued by adding, "There was all kinds of things in there from fancy drinks, to gambling games and the best part, the hot-tub."

"Is that so? Did you hear that dear, a _flying_ limousine? With a built-in hot-tub? What has this kid been taking to think of such a crazy idea like that? I'm sure some wild mushrooms he found lying around in the forest." She told Pusher in her sarcastic tone, not even facing Lucas to reply to him.

"Don't believe me if you don't want to, but it's the truth."

"Yeah and I'm going to stand here and wait for some magic butterflies to come by and sprinkle their magic dust so my car can sprout wings and take off."

"I never said the limousine had wings. It was a scientifically advanced machine not some make-believe car. I won't bother explaining how it works 'cause it's something so complex mere politicians can't understand and something not even average people like the mayor and his wife will ever have no matter how badly they may want it."

"I will not stand here and watch you speak to Elmore that way Lucas!"

"Then don't watch. _Listen. _You might learn something." He said this while having his eyes locked on Elmore. His patience with these people was wearing thin. Had he just said that? The way he was responding now was reminiscent of his brother. Lucas had Kumatora to thank for knowing how to reply to snide comments. "If you didn't keep up, I basically called you guys amateurs in you own 'profession'."

Pusher had not followed and only spoke out to make it seem like he was defending himself and his wife. He opened up his mouth to try to dispute further but nothing came out. Lucas saw the mayor's attempt and knew he didn't need to say any more. _I don't have time for this, plus I'm too tired to have to deal with these people right now. _He thought as he wondered why he was still here. Without another word, Lucas turned and began walking away.

But Elmore was not done yet. "Pusher, a mayor like you doesn't have time to waste speaking with that street kid when you have more important things to do. No one can help the fact that he has the manners you would expect from an unruly crybaby brat with no _mother_."

He stopped dead in his tracks and froze. No way did she _dare _go there.

Elmore saw how hard that hit the boy and she pressed on. "Too bad she's not around to tame her boy when he could have learned so much more. It's a shame too, he was what others would call 'sweet' before, until he began loitering in the forest with a bunch of weirdos, the crippled thief and that pink-haired witch who must have taught him all of that 'bad magic' while also causing trouble wherever he went, making everyone else miserable. Some seriously lost potential."

He turned around to face them.

"But you can't really blame him, since his role model was his _unruly brother_. Imagine if he was still around, he would have been Tazmily's only juvenile delinquent. I'm sure if he had a future here, he would have caused all kinds of trouble."

He felt his fists clench the flowers as his heart rate increased and banged hard against his chest. He could hear the pounding in his neck and even greater in his head. Boney began growling in their direction also sensing the threat.

"Fortunately that didn't happen, at least not here. It was better for everyone that he left and _didn't come back. _Better that he went to cause trouble elsewhere. The village was always more tranquil without him."

The boy at this point was immobile. He had heard enough of this woman and wanted her to quit running her mouth before she got into trouble. Lucas never had the intention of _hurting_ anyone, but after being a victim to her unforgivable disrespect, he slightly considered it. The rage that had built up in this moment was enough to make anyone else loose it. But like before, he held it back. His eyes began to flare up casting a subtle hint of light. A quiet voice in the back of his head whispered, _Just walk away, just walk away, turn around and leave. _But it was silenced by another part of him that wanted to hurt someone. _She is asking for it._ His telepathy was triggered in this moment and he overheard something he wish he hadn't.

_(I say he got what he deserved, always looking for trouble until he found something that he couldn't handle. Then getting lost in the woods, making his father become obsessed with finding him and joining a group of out of town people and becoming a frea—)_

"_HE WAS NOT A **FREAK!**_" The enraged psychic roared. He swiftly moved his arms in front of himself and to his sides, causing him to swish the flowers through the air. But that was not extent of his rage. He could not contain his fury and had unintentionally channeled his newly acquired electrokinesis in his hands and as he swiped them through the air, he unleashed the energy at his sides, which caused loud crackling sounds and bright light to fill the area. Pusher dived out of the way in panic and Elmore merely used her scarf to shield her face from the flash. The repairman who had been watching also recoiled in a defensive position. On the boy's right a few feet away in front of the house was a tree that was struck by the blast of lighting, causing loud snapping sounds as it combusted into extremely hot flames.

"Fire!" shouted a passing civilian. "Everyone, quick get help! We need to stop the fire!" Many of the citizens dropped what they were doing, and rushed to aid in the prevention of the growing flames. Some ran to the nearest source of water while others began clearing the area of possible burning fuel.

"Someone call the police! They have to come and arrest this _freaky pyromaniac!_" Elmore shrieked and quickly pointed to the source of the fire: Lucas.

The boy had flinched at the blast and looked down at his own hands and saw as they involuntarily shook from his confusion and rage while small amounts of static scintillated around them. His vision became blurry as he felt tears gathering in the corners of his eyes. He looked past his hands on the ground: The sunflowers had become unrecognizable as they were now a combination of ashes and twigs. This sight caused his racing heart to ache.

Everything seemed to become mute. All he heard was a loud ringing in his ears. He looked to Boney who made the motions of wild barking, but no sound came out of him. The boy then looked to the crowd that had reacted to the burning area. He saw their frantic movement as they worked on putting out the flames, but heard nothing. Eventually they spoke briefly to each other before they turned to him. He saw the expressions on their faces. Some of anger and many others of _fear_. He could _feel _the crowd all at once and it was overwhelming. Even if it served no purpose, he attempted to silence the tidal wave of emotions and thoughts by covering his ears and placed pressure on his head to ease the pounding. He shut his eyes to prevent any visual stimulation that may have interfered with his mental processes. He scolded himself, now realizing what Elmore had wanted him to do: she wanted him to react._ Idiot what did I do! Elmore pushed me on purpose! And I fell for it!_

Tears streamed down his face as he finally was able to budge and began to run. He ran as fast as he was able to under his condition. He had to escape the voices and the potential authorities that might be after him. He didn't think where to run and retreated to where he always went when upset; back home. He did not believe he could stay there very long but it did not matter as long as he found a place where he could calm himself. He would figure everything else out later.

As he dashed through town, no one attempted to stop him and some even moved out of his way. He passed the Yado Inn and Thomas's Bazaar, without looking around.

Just behind him one of the citizens, Jonel rushed into the Bazaar in search of anything that would aid in the fire. He swung the door open and immediately yelled, "Thomas there's a fire at the Mayor's! We need some of those 'fire diminishing' do-hickies."

Thomas, who was behind the counter reacted quickly to find some of the asked supplies. "A fire? Do I need to sound the alarm?"

"No, no it's not a _major _fire it's just a tree. But we need to get rid of it quick before it spreads."

Another voice spoke out behind Jonel, someone who was already in the store before he ran in. "I believe they are 'fire extinguishing' items Jonel and how did a tree catch fire in plain daylight? We haven't had any of those lightning storms in months." It was Flint who had asked about the situation.

The sudden voice caught Jonel by surprise. "No it wasn't 'cause a lightning storm but it was indeed lightning, caused by _your boy_ Flint!"

"What? Lucas? He wouldn_—_"

"But he did. In fact, I heard he tried _aiming _for the mayor in an attempt at an _assassination!_"

"Whoooa that seems _way _over the top to be Lucas." Thomas defended. "Why would Lucas suddenly want to hurt anyone?"

Flint was struck with doubt and replied, "Let's not jump to conclusions Jonel, we need get our facts straight _after _we put out that fire."

"Oh damn, I gotta go!" He picked up two of the 'fire diminishers' and ran out.

Flint grabbed another two and headed out as well. As he crossed the threshold, he noticed a chocolate labrador running towards his house. "Boney, where's Lucas?"

The dog paused, barked twice and continued on his path. Flint understood him and took the opposite route where clouds of smoke and ash could be seen, hoping to aid in the extinguishing of the flames.

* * *

Lucas had reached the path back to his home. He had willed himself to make it back without stopping. All the fatigue that had accumulated up until this moment had taken a toll on the boy. He finally paused for a breather and leaned against the wall of his house. His throat was dry after the hyperventilating and the smoke only worsened it as it caused stinging with every breath and made any sort of breathing painful. Using the collar of his shirt, he covered his nose and tried to slow down his breathing. He could smell traces of the contaminated air in his clothes so he coughed instead and gasped for more air. He was better off breathing the oxygen in this area as it was much cleaner thanks to the ocean breeze so he felt slight relief after inhaling it. He wanted to run inside but thought his father might be in there and he did not want to confront him now. He would ask questions. The young psychic would have checked quickly for the presence of a mind but the pounding in his head made concentration of his PSI difficult and somewhat painful.

He just wanted to find a place where he could be alone and avoid any starring eyes, even the sheep looked at him with puzzlement and caused him discomfort. He looked around for a place of his own and found the new roof his father and him had worked on earlier that day. That place would have to do. The broken ladder was not a safe option to reach the roof so instead he focused what little energy he could muster without causing him more pain and crouched over in preparation for a jump. Taking a slow deep breath just before the action helped his focus. With the aid of his levitation, he easily lept over the roof and hovered slightly over it before allowing his shoes to be planted gently enough as to not be heard by listening ears that may have been inside.

The boy walked over to where the chimney stood, no smoke plumed from it. He sat down and leaned on the cool bricks and allowed himself to gaze to the ocean. The waves reflected the colors of the orange sky while the golden yellow sun descended over below the horizon. He attempted to use this sight to clear his mind. But he could not. After all that had happened, it seemed impossible. Many other concerns manifested themselves causing more confusion. This was not productive at all. If he was going to think of a what to do next, he had to find a way to calm himself first. He then closed his eyes and shifted his attention to the sun as it covered him in a warm blanket of light. He embraced any other thoughts of distraction that presented themselves just so he could take his mind off of everything else. He let his mind wander in hopes of finding something, anything else to think about. He heard the crashing of the waves below, hitting the ridge as they splashed and caused sea foam to appear.

The sounds reminded him of times before, when he would sit on the ridge gathered with his family, enjoying the afternoon. They would cast their fishing rods over the edge and begin the tedious process of waiting for a bite. Reeling in the rod was the most excitement of all because he would never know what he might reel in. Aside form the ordinary fish, sometimes the strangest sea creatures would get caught, from crabs to small sting rays and even sea stars. Of course when they caught any of these, they would be tossed back into the ocean and Lucas would watch them as they drifted away. While he disliked applying the bait on the hooks, he still did it just to take part in it all.

The bittersweet memory had done its part. He allowed his eyes to open and forced himself back into reality. His breathing was more relaxed and his thinking could be thought as linear. He sat up into a more comfortable position. Moving made him realize how tired his body was and he felt his muscles becoming sore. If he allowed himself to get _too _comfortable he would easily fall asleep. He could not allow himself that luxury now. He was in deep trouble with the town this time. It was bad enough most disliked him but now they had more of a reason to hate him and want him gone or locked up. What would they do to him? No doubt Elmore let the whole town know what happened and lie about the specifics so they would sway to her side. Even if he provided an explanation, they would _never _take his word for it. They would not believe it was an _accident. _Plus who were they more likely to believe, the mayor's wife or just some kid that already had a bad reputation? Then would the Tazmily police come for him? Would he turn himself in? No, they could not, fortunately he did not hurt anyone. He had only caused property damage but in the process, endangered the well-being of the town. So they could have a justifiable reason for him to be taken by the authorities.

This did not take his mind away from what he thought at one point, when he did have the urge to hurt someone. So maybe it was best if he was locked away so he could never intentionally hurt anyone. He never wanted to allow the power to go to his head, but it could only be a matter of time. Kumatora's words rang in his mind: Y_ou shouldn't fear yourself, _ever_! Embrace who you are and you will never loose yourself. _He thought that if he accepted the doubts he had about himself, the people like Elmore who had no faith in him would be the ones who spoke the truth. He would become what they said he was. But the opposite was also true. If he accepted all as it was, all of _who _and _what _ he was at least _he_ would be in control of his own fate. He could not allow others to label him and decide who he was. They would never understand. But he was not as confident about this idea as he would have liked.

The sound of quick footsteps broke him from his train of thoughts and he was quick to move to another side of the chimney. He did not want to look to who had come for fear of being spotted but then felt relief after he heard a familiar bark. Lucas saw as Boney sniffed around in search of him. He walked to the door and began scratching at it while whining. After no one responded, he walked to his doghouse and lied down in defeat. Lucas felt bad for not letting him know were he was so he sent a telepathic message to his friend. _I want to be alone right now._ This made Boney's ears perk up but not move from place. He set his head back down, understanding the boy's wish.

If the door had not opened, then that meant his father was not home. And if he was not home then he must have been—oh crap. Lucas stood up and looked back towards town. His dad was there somewhere. Most likely he was one of the many fighting the fire. From his position, he saw the rising smoke contrast with the clouds of the sky. They were darker and more menacing than those that belonged to the sunset. He sat back down, knowing that his father knew what he had done. When the time came, would he side with the village or actually defend his own son? He began feeling ill again and worry shone on his face. He shut his eyes tight and clenched his teeth, resisting the urge to gag. It was better that he had hardly eaten anything, he did not want to puke on the new roof. All he had was that strip of Double Jerky.

Before the urge was too strong, he suddenly stopped and opened his eyes. Something was wrong and he felt a small consciousness that surged with emotions of panic and absolute terror. He turned to look to the ocean and sensed it emanating form that direction. Though he had not tapped into his powers he was still able to pick it up which meant that whatever fragile mind contained these thoughts, they were under a life or death situation. He squinted his eyes to filter out the sun's bright rays and searched for the source of the uncomfortable thoughts. He looked to the water. Was it possible that someone or something was drowning? No. The wave of panic was in the sky. He continued to glance then he saw a small figure come into view. It was a bird that seemed disoriented as its wings flapped out of synchronization. It was headed in his direction. And then he sensed as it finally lost consciousness and saw as it plummeted to the crashing waves.

Lucas rapidly straightened up and nimbly jumped from the roof, performing a front flip as he did so. As he landed heavily, he ran to the edge and extended his arm out as far as he could and once again used his telekinesis to catch the bird in mid fall. It had been pretty far out, a good thirty feet but luckily barely within his reach. The tiny bird was suspended in mid air and he pulled it in slowly, focusing on maintaining the small body steady. He pulled out his other arm and allowed the bird to rest on them both. Maybe it was a coincidence that he kept saving things with his telekinetic ability today. He walked back to the front of his house and found a clear area and set the bird down gently. Boney had come by greeting the boy then inspecting the feathered body on the ground.

The bird had light brown feathers on its back and cream yellow ones on its belly. The ones on its head were spiked but soft. It had black lines of feathers that ran down the sides of its eyes reaching just at the end of its neck and it also had a slightly hooked beak. It had three toed feet and in one of them, it had firmly grasped a red metal tube that was also comfortably tied around its leg. Lucas figured it was some sort of carrier pigeon, one that he had never seen and was definitely not from these islands. He could see it was breathing albeit slowly and weakly and its wings were limp and spread onto the ground. Lucas would have cast some of his healing PSI but then thought against the idea not knowing how it would react to its effect or what the bird might do after. It could further hurt itself if it was in worse condition than it seemed.

"Prrrrr. . . pi. . . pi. . . pi. . . pi—dgey. . ."


	7. Trouble in Town

This chapter is from Flint's point of view.

Chapter 7: Trouble in Town

The man in the cowboy-styled hat had followed Jonel out of the store to find the citizens in panic and the mentioned tree that was roughly twenty feet tall, in flames. They had managed to extinguish the fire from the lower end of the tree using whatever was available to them like buckets filled to the brim with water, but the top greener areas continued to be consumed by fire. Burning branches fell constantly, causing small grasses to incinerate on the ground. There was one villager shoveling dirt on these burning spots. Embers drifted off with the wind and over Pusher's house. Some of them had made their way to newly growing bushes lining the front of the house and smoke began to appear there as well. It seemed like there were enough people fighting the major threat so Flint handed one of the fire extinguishers to another citizen and rushed to put out the growing fire in the surrounding plants.

When he finished, he searched for anything else that might have been set ablaze and rushed to sections under the tree's larger branches as some began to give away. Flint was under one of them as it collapsed and he heard as it snapped. It came down on him but he reacted to the sound quickly and managed to protect himself by using his arms to shield his upper body. He could feel the simmering as the burning wood made contact with his skin and as soon as he could, pushed away the largest branches to the ground before they did anymore harm to him. He cursed at himself for knowing better but still putting himself in that dangerous situation. His arms now had small patched areas where he was burned, but was in such a frenzied state, he did not feel it.

Not a minute later, Bronson had finally come along with Lighter carrying the power hose. Instead of the usual four-by-four over his shoulder that he carried, the heavy hose rested there in an impressive display; it was too big for one man to carry. Both men stood their ground in front of the tree and got into position. Before releasing the water Bronson shouted, "I need some men over here!" He was joined by Jonel and Mike, even Mapson was there lending a hand. Flint recovered from what had happened and gave his support to the group handling the large hose. This was sure to put the fire out. "Let it rip Tessie!"

A determined young woman at the other end of the hose turned the wheel that was connected to the tanks of water. The pressure grew greatly in the hose and it took all the men to hold it steady. Bronson pointed it upward, the gathered pressure sent the water well above the tree's height, casting a shower over the citizens. The sun's position in the sky reflected in the thousands of water drops, causing the colors of the spectrum to reveal themselves: a rainbow. It shown through the brown smoke though no one admired it.

Minutes passed and everyone was still prepared to take action. They took fires very seriously especially since the Great Sunshine Forest fire over three years ago and the recent lightning storms that would either cause fires or result in explosions, depending on the power of the blast. All of these situations made the citizens realize that they always had to be prepared for the worst.

Everyone was gathered to witness the flames as they died down. When it was finally put out cheers erupted, the citizens celebrated their victory and teamwork. Many of them were coughing afterward. What remained of the tree was covered in a layer of gray smoke, and few green areas could be seen. One side of the tree had it worse, where the discharge of lighting had struck. Much of the wood had been blasted away and the rest had been the catalyst for what had ensued.

"Good work everyone. There ain't no fires that will beat this town!" Bronson called out to the rest.

"_Good work? _Oh just look at my front lawn, it's _hideous!_" Elmore yelled as everyone turned to her. "Who's going to clean all of this, hmm?"

"Forget the lawn, we're lucky that no one was seriously injured and the fire didn't get out of control." Mike replied.

"There wouldn't have _been_ a fire if it wasn't for that _raging adolescent!_"

Flint confronted the two main "victims" as everyone eyed him nervously, not knowing how he would react. They could not tell his mood as they could not see his expression. His face seemed to be concealed in a darker shadow than usual. Everyone in town respected Flint and if he needed to speak, they would listen to him first and ask questions later. He had always been a reasonable man.

"What's this I'm hearing about Lucas causing this? I'm sure we would like to know more about what _really_ happened."

Pusher found his way to the center of attention as he quickly shoved his way through to speak to Flint. His face was fuming and was red like a tomato. "Th—that, that. . . _**boy **_tried using one of his _spells_ on me and my wife Flint!" He pointed in the direction Lucas had ran to. "We were minding our own business seeing to the repairs of my cruzer until he showed up just to bad mouth us. Then Elmore tried straightening him out by speaking to him reasonably until he just shot _lightning_ from his _hands! _If I hadn't jumped out of the way, I would have been _finished!" _When he was done he was out of breath, exhaling loudly.

"I know my son. And I know he would_ never _do such a thing unless it was in his own defense or someone possibly _provoked_ him, which is very difficult to do." He turned to Elmore when he said the last few words.

"Really Flint, do you _really_ know him? Have you had any part in _raising _him recently? Like in the past _three years? _Oh that's right, you were out on your own attending to other _lost causes._" Elmore said as a—matter—of—factly. The rest of the citizens had no reason _not_ to side with Elmore on this. All Flint could do was accept that fact, that he had been absent from raising his son in the past.

"This isn't about me. It's about what happened here and we can't just take two people's word for it. Even if they are the words of the mayor and his wife." He looked around to see the faces of the town. "Who else was a witness to what happened here?"

Everyone averted their eyes either looking to the ground or at each other, seeing if anyone would speak up. While there was silence, Flint paced around while others moved out of his path. He made his way to the side of the tree that had been struck and observed it deeply for any clue as to the size of the strike. From what he could tell, it had not been a very large bolt, that part of Pusher's story had been disproved. He was sure of this as he had experience with lightning damage. It would not have taken him out as he said, only cause injury. Flint continued to look around and turned to face the car and the ground around it. Something burnt on the soil caught his attention. He knew immediately that it had not belonged to the tree. He walked to it and kicked the pile of ashes and twigs with his boots. Being able to recognize these plants under any condition he muttered, "Sunflowers."

"Um excuse me, but I saw what happened. I was there to witness it all." Flint was broken from his pensive thinking to face a mechanic. Everyone had forgotten about him until now. He wore a pair of gray dungarees with many pockets and a white long sleeve shirt. His black leather boots seemed stained with oil markings. Other than his basic appearance, he seemed perplexed as to what had happened and was also enveloped in curiosity about the situation.

"Would you please explain as to what you saw." Flint said cool and collected.

Pusher was quick to interrupt. "Johnson, I'm not _paying _you to talk."

Flint held up his hand. "I mean no disrespect Pusher, but please be quiet and let the man speak. I'm sure everyone else wants to listen."

"Well I was here, working on the mayor's car. I had left my tool box on the floor when that boy came by, carrying some flowers and walked into the box, knocking much of my supplies out. The mayor insisted the boy apologize but it was sort of my fault that I left them there. He seemed agitated from what I could tell. Mrs. Elmore then walked out and began saying some things the boy didn't like. He did talk back afterward and then began to leave. Then Mrs. Elmore mentioned the boy's mother and—"

"She _what?_" At this, Flint had slightly lost it as well. He turned to face the woman who had her arms crossed while her lips were twisted to one side. She raised an eyebrow showing no remorse for what she had said to the boy. Flint turned away from her before _he_ let out some of his own fury. He did not want to imagine what kind of things Elmore must have said to trigger his son in such a way. _Especially_ if it involved comments about his late wife. He turned back to the mechanic, regaining his cool composure. "Hm, I see. Continue."

"Well, I don't know exactly what she was talking about and there was a moment when the boy had gone silent while Mrs. Elmore spoke. Then I saw the boy, who was on the verge of crying, shout at Mr. Pusher and Mrs. Elmore." He stopped for a moment, unsure about how to explain what he had seen. Almost as if he described it, people would give him a look that implied he had lost his sanity. Johnson was hesitant and skeptical about it all but voiced it aloud anyway. "I know I might sound crazy for saying this but, it looked like the boy's eyes were _glowing. . ._ and then he. . . he fired _lightning_ from his _hands_. But not directed at the mayor."

Everyone else knew what he meant, but they pretended like they had no clue as to what he was talking about. They tried to push aside, conceal, or ignore anything that was not "normal" to outsiders, as Johnson the Repairman was from out of town. People like Lucas, well, they never talked about.

This was another detail that Flint needed to know. Lucas never intended to strike Pusher. If he did, it was more likely that the mayor would have been _disintegrated. _Flint thought back to when he had first witnessed his son's true power. When they were in the dark abyss, high above on crags of black rock while below in the crevasses there were lightning flashes of purple and white light. The place where Lucas had his final battle with the Masked Man would always remain permanently branded in his mind. He had been transfixed as they had sent blazing beams of light at each other. They almost seemed like perfect geometric hexagons. Lucas had only unleashed his ultimate attack once on his opponent, slightly striking him but also having it clash with a small raised precipice that had shattered into thousands of pieces as if it had been made of fine crystal. Yes, the power was mesmerizing to witness but it was also _lethal _if one was struck by it. He knew all too well for at one point he had jumped in the way of an attack from the Masked Man. If it was not for Lucas and his friends, he would have perished on the spot.

"I mean I have never been a believer in magic before but now I'm convinced that boy is some sort of _wizard_. That, or I'm losing it." There was no one who could convince Johnson that what he saw had been his imagination and based on Flint's lack of reaction, he knew Flint had a better understanding of what he had described.

A voice from the crowd could be heard muttering, "That boy's _cursed _that's what it is." This was met with many sounds of agreement.

"Everyone please, hear me out." Flint raised his voice to silence the muttering that had begun due to that last comment. "What Mr. Johnson has just described _disproves_ what Pusher said. Lucas had no intention of causing any of this and if he had done it on purpose, believe me it would have turned out _much_ _worse_. This happened as a result of a misunderstanding and an _accident,_ nothing more."

"Of course _you_ would defend your own son Flint, that's what this is!"

"Y—you're the boy's father?" Questioned Johnson. He seemed to take two steps back from the man in the cowboy hat.

"Even if I wasn't his father, I would still defend him as I have." Flint replied to Elmore.

"I'm with Flint on this one." Surprisingly it was Mapson that spoke out. "Lucas is a good kid and I believe we should not take Mr. Pusher's accusation too seriously. I mean it was only a little fire, it wasn't anything we haven't dealt with before."

"But it was still an act of _vandalism _whether it was an accident or not." Brenda's voice rang out as it always did. "In my opinion those that cause trouble, deserve punishment."

The town seemed to divide and a debate had sparked up. Some in favor of discipline and while others thought of forgiveness. They had their own personal belief of justice and how this situation should have been dealt with. Their voices rose to the point it was just noise.

"Let's not forget that the boy who caused this damage is the son of the man that was Tazmily's first ever _prisoner! _Like father, like son. . ."

"But Lucas is a nice boy, he has only offered to help in the past and he has never done anything like this before so I believe just to let it slide. . ."

The Tazmily Police force had arrived, but only consisting of two officers for the task, believing this would suffice for the criminal they were asked to detain. To them just a child, but also a super—powered teenager with destructive psychic abilities. Little did they know.

"Alright, alright people settle down, settle down, we are here to put a stop to all of the fuss and arrest the juvenile responsible." One of them said.

"Oh finally, it's about time! He ran that way. You two should hurry before he runs off, go go go!" Elmore shooed them away with her hand.

In the middle of the conversation, Thomas had slipped in through the crowd and now finally had something to say, "Elmore are you _mad_? You are asking the police to arrest a _child? _What's the matter with you?"

"Yeah a _freak _child!"

"That's _enough _Elmore." Flint was beginning to raise his voice.

"Don't talk to my _wife_ like that Flint!"

"She has said enough Pusher, it's best if she doesn't say any more."

"She has the right to say whatever she _damn _pleases. And you can't do anything about it. I'm sure the authorities would mind if they saw you have one of your little _fits of rage_ right now Flint." He walked right up to Flint and put his face too close for comfort. Although he acted like he was a much bigger man, he was shorter by fifteen centimeters.

Flint looked down to the stout man. His relaxed hands had become fists. He rose one up slowly to his face and adjusted his hat. Then he turned around.

He faced the officers and spoke, "You should not be going after children. As we have already received an explanation from a witness, what happened here was an accident and has been handled. No further action needs to be taken."

The officers looked at each other and one of them said, "We need to speak of the matter in private and we'll get back to you." They stepped to the side and began conversing, unable to be heard by any ears. "That Flint guy seemed right about everything I mean, it was just a kid that did this right? We shouldn't have to worry about some delinquent vandalizing the place."

"Hm I don't know but I talked with a few of the villagers and many of them say he is the kid that has been stealing too. That gives us more of a reason to arrest him, right?"

"Yeah it does but then it makes us look bad for detaining a _kid_ for petty theft. Maybe if we just let him off the hook with a warning. I mean if he started a fire seemingly out of nowhere as they claim, do you really want to be a warden to a pyromaniac? What if he sets the station on fire?"

"Oh _hell_ no. I guess you're right. I don't want this job to be any harder. I mean, I took the gig because nothing ever happens here." After their brief discussion, they walked back to the citizens preparing their verdict. "After much deliberation, and reviewing of the evidence the witness provided, we have decided to let the boy off with a warning, and if he is to cause any more acts of vandalism, we will not hesitate to bring him into custody."

"What! This is _outrageous! _That boy needs to face criminal charges for attempted _murder!_"

"Ma'am, there is currently no proof that anyone tried murdering anyone else. We cannot simply take him in with no proof. The mayor has not a scratch on him, he just needs to adjust his tie a bit."

"What about the _fire!"_ She shrieked. "Next time he might set my house on fire!"

"Boys will be boys. And that is a false accusation. While this offense is his first one and if it is his _only_ one than we cannot bring him in for that. If he were to cause any more damage than yes, we will arrest him."

They left Elmore with her mouth hanging open. Now Pusher intervened. "What do you mean you won't take him in! What else are you getting _paid _for? You are supposed to arrest the criminals in town and there is enough proof that boy is a menace!"

"But there is also proof that there was some sort of _verbal abuse _going on here on a child and we are just going to let that slide as well." They stood firm, with their hands at their hips. "Well if you would excuse us, we have to go and take care of _real _criminals. Enjoy your evening." And with that, they began to head to the station.

Once they were out of hearing range, one of them said, "Phew, that was a close one. For once I actually thought we were going to have to _arrest _someone."

"Yeah that would have ruined my night. When we get back to the station we should celebrate another week of not having to deal with actual criminals!" They tried their best to hide the smiles on their faces with stern ones that made others that were passing by, believe they were important authority figures.

Flint had watched as they walked back to their headquarters then faced the citizens. When he turned, he was met by Pusher once again.

"That boy is _lucky_ Flint. He should have been detained." He was breathing so heavily that Flint could feel his breath. "That-that . . . _**boy**_ of yours better stay out of the way or I swear, I will do everything in my power to make sure this town _wants _him _gone_. I will see to it that this village will be rid of any _abnormal _people like him." Then he turned to Johnson and began to fume to him as well. "And _**you**_. I was considering on paying you double to keep your mouth shut but you just had to blabber on about what happened. It's also _your fault_ they didn't arrest him."

Mr. Johnson had had enough of this man who was full of himself. "Well you know what Mr. Pusher, _I quit! _Good luck finding somebody else that can do the job!" He had wanted to quit once he saw that he could not perform the repairs needed to fix the automobile, but was afraid that it would hurt his reputation. Now he had an excuse to quit without making himself look _too _bad. He turned to collect his tools and was soon off to the Yado Inn.

"Whatever! There's _loads _of saps out there I can pay to fix the damn car! Where the _hell_ is Sebastian when I need him! He needs to find someone else to hire immediately!" And with that he stormed off.

Elmore approached Flint for some of her final words. What she said was loud enough to be heard by the people around them but discrete enough to make it seem like she was only saying it to him. "You better keep that little _freak _away from us. It's best if you start restraining him or he might also have a little _accident._ And we all know how that turned out with your _other son_." Then she turned and followed her husband to the flashy house.

Flint now saw why Lucas had reacted the way he did. These two people served as a _trigger _to his son who he knew could be very sensitive. Flint had developed more control over the years during his time alone and made certain that he would not allow his anger to get out of hand.

The crowd began to disperse, seeing as the drama had ended. Flint knew this was not the best time to say what he needed but this was the only opportunity to do it seeing as everyone was already gathered. "Everyone, please wait." Many stopped but there were those who continued on their way. "The police and the mayor are trying to convince you that everything is under their control; that there is nothing to worry about. Now I know this is not what you want to hear especially after what just happened, but we may all be in _danger_." More paused when they heard Flint's serious tone. "The strange creatures, the ones that once lived in the forest, Chimeras, have been reported being seen once again. Everyone should remain vigilant, especially at this hour and should report any suspicious activity to everyone they can _immediately. _If we want to continue keeping our town safe, then display the same level of teamwork that you did today and help spread any information that you may know. We can only assure safety if _everyone_ contributes a small part in helping. We cannot just rely on authority figures to do the job for us. We have greater strength in numbers, please don't forget that." And with this, Flint had given his final warning to anyone who would listen. The rest was up to them.

A lot of them had already gone and the few who remained, were those who had faith in the hatted man. Lighter, Bronson, Thomas, Mike, Jonel, Mapson and Tessie were still gathered and had questions of their own.

"What? Are you sure about this Flint?" Bronson sounded concerned.

"I'm afraid so." Flint said gravely.

"But those creatures were only ever in the forest, they never invaded the town."

"It's better to be safe about this Tessie, even if it is unlikely." Thomas stated.

"I thought that we were finally rid of those things." Lighter had said. "And now they are back, possibly waiting in the forest right now just for the chance to catch those off-guard." Lighter seemed to include hatred in his tone. He remembered when those creatures had attacked his son Fuel. Since then, he had done his part in stopping them.

"Then we must remain on guard, who knows how much danger we may be in." Jonel added.

"I can trust everyone here will spread the word?" Flint said this more than he asked of it. He was met with nods and sounds of affirmation. "And please everyone, be careful. . . I must get going and see to. . . Lucas." They shifted at the sound of the name. After having to settle the trouble caused by him, they felt somewhat bothered. They thought they had known the boy but after this display, they were not so sure anymore.

Flint tipped his hat to them and began trailing on the path to his home, passing many others that were doing the same. Much of the smoke had cleared and the sky was beginning to darken as the sun continued on its set path once again. As he made his way passed the Yado Inn, he saw Mr. Johnson just outside the doors. Noticing that he was there, made the man realize he had not apologized to the Mechanic so he found he needed to make up for that.

"Excuse me, Mr. Johnson but I just wanted to apologize for everything that happened back there. You shouldn't have lost your job because you were doing what was right."

Johnson at first seemed dazed then jumped when he heard his name. He became more relaxed when he saw who had addressed him. "Oh it's you. Flint was it? Please, call me Holden. And I don't care about that anymore. When I took the job at first, I sort of felt honored that the mayor of this town had asked me to be his mechanic. But I soon saw how much of a _jerk_ he was. He would belittle me for the slightest thing and I got annoyed of him pretty quick. I thought of quitting several times but I didn't. Maybe because I didn't want to feel like I failed and hurt my reputation."

"You seem like an honest and reasonable man and the world needs more of that." Flint complimented.

"I could say the same thing."

It had been a while since Flint last smiled. It faded quickly and he continued his apology. "I also hope you excuse my son's behavior. I know what he did was unintentional, otherwise someone could have really been hurt."

Johnson's face was troubled at the mention of the boy.

Flint saw this and thought how his son had always been well behaved and had never stirred this reaction from people. But lately, he had seen Lucas not being his usual self and he was beginning to worry.

Johnson shifted in place unsure of how to ask about the boy. "So what I saw back there wasn't my imagination. He _did _fire lightning didn't he?"

Flint did not want to talk about that but it had gone there so he simply nodded.

There was a moment where neither one of them spoke. Flint stood there waiting to see if Johnson would forgive his son. When Johnson next spoke, it was not what Flint was expecting. "So he must be the boy I've heard about, the one with 'magic powers'. Is he some sort of _magician?_"

Flint sighed and replied, "No, he is not a magician. He has recently gained psychic abilities."

"Si kick? Things like spoon bending, _mind reading _and seeing the future and stuff? I thought there were just phonies out there that pretended to do that sort of thing."

"So did I but I have witnessed it first hand, though I'm sure he can't see into the future, that is not an ability of his. He is not dangerous and has never used the powers he does possess to stir up trouble. Somehow he must have lost his hold on them when he became upset. You see, he can be very sensitive at times. Especially due to. . ." He cleared his throat. ". . . Recent events. And many don't see that."

"I can see why. That _woman_ was saying many improper things. She continued her tormenting even after she saw what it was doing to him. As if she _enjoyed _causing him emotional pain. She's sadistic that's what she is. I'm happy to be away from those people. I'm beginning to feel like they would have ripped me off or refused to pay even if I finished the job."

"I hope your experience with them has not given you a bad impression of this town."

"No. As long as there are people like you present, the town will do fine. Heck _you _should run for mayor one day."

"I couldn't. I'm a simple farm man. I wouldn't be the type to engage in political squabbles."

"No, you would be the type to help others and take charge like a leader should. Like what you did back there. Instead of wanting to blame the most obvious perpetrator, you investigated and questioned the public. No one else stepped forth to do that. Not even the police force would do as much as you did."

"Yes, but you also have to consider that I was defending my son."

"But you also warned people of a threat which I believe should be the mayor of the town who needs to notify the public in that way." He finished what he needed to say about that then asked a question about that topic. "I heard you warn everyone about it, so should it be something I should watch out for as well? And what are 'Kite Meras'?"

"_Chimeras_ are strange creatures that once plagued the forest. No one has seen any until recently so we want everyone to be aware. Yes that includes you too Mr. Johnson. If you see anything abnormal do not hesitate to bring it to the public."

"Will do. And Mr. Flint, thanks for the heads-up and apology although you didn't need to but I appreciate it nonetheless. I'm sure your son regrets what he did and I can see that a man like you is a good understanding parent. Even if you don't think so."

_Sorry Johnson, but I wish that were true. I haven't been the best father recently._

Flint tipped his hat to him as well and continued on his way.

What Johnson and Elmore had said reminded him about his own faults. Guilt made its way into his heart and he thought of the only person who could have helped him. _Dearest Hinawa, I wish you were here to help our son. And to help me. . . _


	8. Healing

Chapter 8: Healing

The bird had moved slightly since it started peeping quietly. Lucas held his breath, waiting patiently until it began to wake on its own. He could not intervene, not yet. Boney was a little too excited as he had his nose right on the small bird. "Boney, back off." Lucas pushed his head out of the way. But the dog made his way back, even closer. "Boney get back and give him some space. If he wakes up, he's going to freak out if he sees your big head on him." Boney was persistent and continued to push his way through even though Lucas kept shoving him aside. "That's it!" Lucas gave him one last hard shove and picked up the bird. With one jump, he quickly retreated back onto the roof where the dog could not reach. He left him barking down below. Good thing the ladder was not up. Boney could _climb _ladders.

He set the bird in a comfortable area, where it was plain and clear of any debris. This way, and without Boney's head in the way, he was able to examine it closer. It had no physical injuries aside from a few scratches on its legs and its feathers were very ruffled like it had not preened in a long while. In some places it seemed like feathers had been pulled out forcibly from it's back. The red metal tube it had been holding seemed too big and quite heavy for it to carry. It also had a strange silver symbol engraved on it. It was a circle that had two lines crossing, like a crosshair although it was not centered, instead it was off to the bottom left side. He unclipped the tube and set it aside, assuring it would not cause the bird anymore discomfort as it rested. Now that he checked its exterior, it was time to examine its mental state. He was not going to probe too deeply for fear of waking it inadvertently and possibly causing it distress. He closed his eyes and focused hard attempting to briefly scan its subconscious but all he sensed was a void and could not make anything out. Most likely it was his lack in skill in the ability which was why he did not pick anything up. Scanning a conscious mind was much easier. He had to practice on it.

He waited, and several minutes had passed. He was still crouched low to the roof, staring at it with unblinking eyes, waiting for any possible sign of it waking up. But nothing happened. It upset him that it was this weak and he began to worry for it. He was tempted to use his PSI and began preparing it in anticipation.

Boney had not given up and was still on the ground looking to the roof. His attention was broken as he heard someone approaching, they had crushed the fallen leaves as they made their way to him. He ran to the hatted man and greeted him with three barks. The man simply looked at the dog, waiting for him to tell him where his son was. Boney ran back to the place he had been sitting on and looked to the roof of the house. Flint followed his gaze and only saw the tuft of blond hair. He sighed deeply, unsure about how to address the boy.

"Lucas." He saw as the tuft of hair turned slightly at the sound of his voice. "Lucas, would you please come down." Eventually the boy stood. He seemed to bend over as if to pick something up and turned to make his way down. He let himself fall and land firmly on the ground, levitation aiding his landing. He did not face the man. Instead he looked to something he was holding in his arms.

"He's hurt Dad, and he's very weak too." The boy said, still not making eye contact. Flint saw this and knew immediately that his son was_ distant_. Besides that, his clothes had spots of dirt, and soot seemed to cover the front portions of his hair. His face had accumulated some of the filth as well. Flint could see where his tears had streamed down his face and the streaks where he had wiped them away. He looked weary and off balance and seemed to shake while he stood straight. He was also sweating as if suffering from a fever. It was going to be difficult to speak to his son while in this state. Maybe it was best if he waited for Lucas to snap out of it as talking to him now was no use. In this moment, the bird seemed to be taking all of his attention. So he paid mind to it as well, as addressing anything else now would provide no reply form the blond. This had happened in the past. Flint believed it was one of his son's coping mechanisms.

Flint had to follow the current, "What do you have there?" He just needed Lucas to keep talking and eventually he would regain his senses.

"It was carrying a letter for someone." That was not the answer to his question but at least he was talking. "He almost fell into the ocean getting here, I just had to save him." He still had not turned to face his father. He began to gently stroke the bird's feathers by rubbing his fingers on its side while still holding it with both arms.

Flint slowly approached the boy but Lucas backed away as if sensing a threat. Flint had to feel as neutral as possible knowing Lucas could pick up on emotions and getting too close resulted in the boy sensing danger if he felt too tense. The boy just needed some space. Flint realized this and respected it while taking a step back. He also noticed that he was finally facing him and like how Johnson had described, his eyes were lit with a subtle hint of cyan light in the lower half of them. It was intimidating but at the same time it was captivating.

The bird stirred and began making faint sounds. "Pi. . . pi. . . pi. . ." It weakly opened one eye and looked to the one holding it.

Lucas seemed to become eager to talk to it so he whispered, "Don't be scared. It's gonna be okay, I will help you." The bird did not attempt to stir as it sensed the sincerity in the boy's voice. Positioning his left arm to hold it firmly and comfortably, he removed his right arm and placed it above the bird. He opened his hand and closed his eyes briefly as Flint saw him summon a transparent light purple spark of energy in his hand. With his eyes now open and his face stern, Lucas muttered, _"Refresh." _The fascinating lavender light was cast on the small bird and trickled onto its body. The feathered being began moving more and Lucas saw this as a sign that it was taking effect and removed his hand, wiped the sweat away that had gathered on his forehead and placed his arm back to where it had been. After a moment, the bird weakly opened both eyes and slightly raised his head to the boy and let out a quiet and pleased, "Prrrr." Then set his head back on the boy's arm, closing its eyes. It almost seemed to smile.

"You're welcome." He replied.

The display here made Flint certain of something. How could this boy ever want to cause suffering and trouble? He cared for every amount of life no matter how small. Even _seeing_ someone in pain caused him anguish and the first action he wanted to do was _help_. Flint was sure now that he had been right about the situation in town. He was certain that his son would _never_ perform actions that would spark distress, at least not on purpose.

"He is going to be okay. He just needs rest." A small relieved smile appeared on his face. It was quick to fade as he continued to glance down at the bird. With his mouth dry and a hoarse voice he finally said, "I'm sorry Dad. . . I. . . I. . . I didn't_— _It was an acc_—_"

"Accident, yes I know."

"They are going to take me and lock me away, I just know it."

"No, that won't happen. I saw to that already."

Lucas finally looked up to face his father with a shocked expression and Flint felt the piercing gaze from his son, his eyes still alit. The blond swallowed whatever moisture remained in his mouth and said, "Wh_—what?_" For a minute, Lucas believed his father was the one asked to bring him in.

"I looked into the situation and came to a conclusion. I spoke with the public and the authorities, convinced them on the matter and they agreed to give you a warning. Just this once."

Lucas was amazed. How had his father done all of that _already? _He was perplexed to know this news and extremely relieved. He was _pardoned_ but just this once. Now he needed to ask, _"H—how?"_

"After we fought the fire, I found the sunflowers and I knew you would _never_ do that to those plants on _purpose. _I then began to ask if there were any witnesses and lucky for me, there was one who spoke out. After reviewing both sides of the scenario, I knew Pusher and Elmore's side did not add up. I also briefly told the officers who came by about it, but it seemed to them, you were not worth their time. So they just said you were free to go but not without the first strike offense. They won't be so forgiving next time."

"But how did you _know?_" Lucas's question was enveloped in bafflement.

Flint interpreted this as how he knew Pusher and Elmore's story did not make sense. "It was more of an educated guess really. They failed at an attempt to victimize themselves, and I know how they over exaggerate with explanations, especially Elmore."

"What did she say I tried to do?"

"She said you tried assassinating the mayor." Flint seemed to find this slightly amusing and smiled at how absurd it sounded. He even let out a nervous chuckle believing it was appropriate as Lucas was beginning to settle down and regain his senses.

But Lucas did not smile. His eyebrows slanted in a scowl as is eyes flared up more intensely than before. Flint saw this and reverted to a neutral state catching that error. Lucas was angry at the fact she was right in a way. He _did_ have the urge to hurt both of them in that one brief instance.

"L_—_Lucas?"

As much as it angered him to admit it, he said in flat stern voice, "She wasn't _exactly_ wrong." The air around him began increasing in pressure once again, and Flint could feel the off-putting pulse of small psionic waves. He froze unsure of where the boy was going with this. Lucas felt his father's inner terror but couldn't contain himself from emitting the pressure. Not until the small bird in his arms began to wake and started peeping in panic. Lucas caught himself and snapped out of it, then shut his eyes and shook his head, attempting to clear whatever that was, away. He looked down to the bird. "Shh it's okay." He tried using a soothing voice but it came out raspy and was beginning to crack. He really needed something to drink. The bird relaxed and set its head down, but remained with its eyes slightly open.

Flint breathed in deeply, relieved that the unseen force was no longer pressing against his body. He was beginning to think he did not know his son as well as he thought. Elmore was right, he had grown distant from him. "I'm sorry Dad. I didn't mean to do that." Lucas took immediate regret in his behavior. "I'm so sorry about all of this. . . I—I couldn't suppress it like you told me to." He paused for a moment. "She. . . She said things about Mom. . . And about Cl—Cl—_Claus_." He forced himself to speak his brother's name.

"Yes, I know about that too." Was all Flint could say. After realizing his son's confusion and lack of restraint, he knew asking him to control himself was not going to help at all. If he was truly going to help his son, the first step was to understand him. Then he needed advice and aid about this power and the only one he knew who could provide insight was Alec, his father-in-law. He had been friends with the Magypsies and he himself had only met them once before. At first he thought they were strange cross-dressing people and had mixed opinions about them. But he quickly pushed that aside as he discovered they were wielders of mythical power he never understood. This needed to change. He could not ignore his son's abilities anymore. For the boy's sake, he would look into the matter and find a way to help him. This was what _Hinawa_ would have done. She would have gone to any length to help her children even up until the end, when she had made the ultimate sacrifice for them.

"Lucas. I'm the one who needs to apologize. I have not been a father to you. Instead, I have been trying to pretend like _all of that_ didn't happen. It was wrong of me to ask you to contain yourself and try to be someone you are _not._ If I knew it was this difficult and that it was causing you this much discomfort, I would not have asked that you. I promise that from now on, I will try to be supportive in whatever way I can. I will try to inform myself about all of this while trying not to get too much in your way. I don't want you to feel like I'm being invasive. As much as I feel unsure about this, I will not ask you to hold back anymore." His voice was shaky but he still continued. "I know you shouldn't forgive me, I don't deserve it. But please, give me a chance to make it up to you."

Lucas sensed the sincerity in his words. That was true, he was not about to forgive his father for his neglect, but he could not say how relieved he was to hear Flint admit his mistakes and that he was going to be more open about all of this from now on. He expressed himself by closing his eyes, pausing the iridescence emitting from them, and eased the increased tension he had in his shoulders.

"I will just ask you of one thing. You should do your best to stay out of the mayor's way from now on. He is only going to want to spark trouble involving you so they can get that second offense strike and that is the last thing we need." He looked down and added, "And I should stay out of their way too." The boy now felt his father's displeasure at the mentioned people. His passive hands had become fists. Lucas could only wonder what his father must have gone through to convince an entire town of his innocence. Whatever had happened, it resulted in his father also receiving some sort of backlash. Lucas could not help but think all of this was his own fault. Also, he thought of how tired he was. . .

Flint shifted the subject before he began feeling too irritated. "On a positive note, I did make an announcement about your warning Lucas, to those who would listen. But I'm beginning to think most did not take it as a serious threat." But the boy was not listening. He was standing motionless but Flint noticed his legs trembling as if his muscles would give away at any moment. Thinking over it, Lucas had not muttered a word for a while. He had just stood there with his eyes closed, still holding the bird. The branch that was somehow against his back with nothing tied to it, fell down. Then his arms began to relax a little _too_ much. Flint was quick to react immediately after spotting this. He rushed towards his son as his body collapsed and caught him. A second later and the bird that was sleeping comfortably in his arms would have been dropped on the ground.

Flint embraced his son and picked him up as he made his way to their front door. While he carried him, he could make out scuff marks on his pale face. He was burning up with a severe fever and could hear his shallow and dry breathing that was most likely due to dehydration. He even heard his stomach rumble form lack of a meal and he felt lighter than he should have been.

He wondered what his son had done all day in the forest and everything else that he must have gone through to feel this level of exhaustion. He never came home tired to the point he would pass out. It must have been related to his many ailments, the worst one being the fever. It burned so intensely that Flint could feel the heat radiate while he held him. He walked slowly with care, avoiding obstacles that may have caused him to move unnecessarily such as the table from earlier they had used to set the tools. The sky had become dark as the last bits of light made their way through the bright pink clouds, dark blues and purples in their shadow side. There was a sudden drop in temperature as the wind swept through, and the absence of light grew.

Boney had let out a high-pitched bark as he saw the boy being carried by the man in the hat. He scurried to the Flint's side, concerned about Lucas's well-being.

When Flint entered, it was hard to see but he was able to set Lucas down on the larger bed that still had two pillows set. The bird was resting on him so Flint decided to move it aside. He picked it up cautiously and placed it on the other side of the mattress. Luckily it had not woken up. Flint saw them together and noticed how both were similar in a way as they were ill and tired but now were on the path to recovery. He then lit some candles and oil lamps, and placed them around the house, lighting the room. The man walked over to the kitchen, raised his long sleeves and poured cool water from the basin onto a cloth to place on Lucas's forehead. Next, he went to ignite the fireplace as it was quickly becoming cold inside. The flames engulfed the room in warmth while also greatly increasing the room's illumination. On the stove he placed a pot of water to boil in hopes of making tea. Finally, he removed the boy's shoes and set them on the floor, pulled up a chair on the side of the occupied bed, and only occasionally stood to rinse the cloth and apply fresh water on his head.

He sat in silence as he waited to see of the boy would wake. He looked over him, thinking how normal he appeared when he slept. Flint made the tea and set some for the boy in case he awoke. He wanted to further occupy himself while he waited then remembered about his son's hunger so he went over to prepare omelets with the remaining eggs. He knew his son would not have minded the choice in food.

Boney was allowed in and watched as Flint paced back and forth. Some food had been set for him earlier but he was too concerned to eat which was unusual of him. Instead he lied down and waited for any sound that hinted to the boy regaining consciousness.

The aroma from the cooking quickly filled the house. It was enough for the blond to stir and once the brown dog heard, he stood on his hind legs and placed his front paws on the edge of the bed, scratching at the sheets and starring at the no longer unconscious psychic. The boy let out a moan and swiftly opened his eyes and sat up in panic as if expecting something dangerous was drawing near. Flint quickly left the stove and made his way to his son. "Hey, easy, easy. Everything's fine, just lie back down." He placed a hand on his shoulder and pressed lightly. Lucas looked around and panted loudly before letting himself fall back, leaning on the headboard and sighing deeply to calm his adrenaline, his eyes half open. Flint offered him the cup of tea and he accepted it. Ginger Root Tea was very helpful for a sore throat. Even though he was parched, he sipped it slowly as it was still hot. At first, he could taste its spice but relief soon followed as he could feel it washing over and alleviating the irritation. As he drank, he realized how excessively hot he was.

Great just what he wanted, _another_ fever. The second one in the same day. Kumatora did say this was going to continue but he did not expect it to be so soon. And she never mentioned a headache that went with it. He must have used his PSI excessively today, more than he had in weeks. If this became a greater nuisance then he could not stay here, he needed to go for a walk. But after moving his legs, it was clear he was not going anywhere. They were _too_ weak. In fact, his entire body felt this way. He did not want this to stop him so he pushed himself up and was preparing to stand until —

"The omelets are almost ready."

On second thought, he felt hungry and he could not leave without fueling his body. But at the same time he had no appetite so he was unsure how this was going to go. His walk would have to wait until he could at least stand so he relaxed while his dad finished. While he waited, Boney was there licking his hand so in return, Lucas petted him. He faced the left and saw the brown bird. It seemed to be in a comfortable deep sleep, Lucas being sure it felt secure. He watched as its head bobbed back in forth, in rhythm with its breathing. He wondered what he would do when it woke up and was curious about where it had been headed for its delivery and wanted to help it reach the receiver. Who knows how important or urgent that letter was.

He sipped the last bit of tea and set the cup aside. He looked to Flint who was placing the omelets on a plate and watched as his father made his way to him.

"I hope that you don't mind, I used the last of the eggs that you brought Lucas."

He had not regained full use of his voice yet so he just moved his head side to side once, limiting its motion as to not make his head hurt more. Flint gave him the warm plate and he set it on his lap and observed what his father had prepared for him. The three omelets generated eddies that swirled up, growing transparent then disappearing. He stared down at them for a minute, unsure if he felt healthy enough to eat. They appeared to be fine so he picked up the fork and sliced a small piece from one end and carefully took the first bite. He thought it had no flavor at first so he took another piece and tasted it. He considered it to be decent, though Flint had added a little extra pepper and that was not to his liking. But he was not in the position to be picky. After the third bite, his appetite suddenly sparked and he no longer cared if the food did not have the right taste and he found himself shoveling the rest of the first omelet in his mouth, paying no mind to the high temperature burning his tongue. He continued to eat the rest just as quickly.

Flint had taken his seat and drank more tea. He was caught off guard by how his son was eating. He knew his cooking could not have been _that_ great. The boy must have been famished, that was the only explanation. He saw the dog watching the blond and said, _"Boney. . ." _which caused the canine to turn his head and make a face of forlorn. Flint pointed to the bowl that belonged to him. The hungry dog whined, set his ears down and made his way to the food meant for him, knowing that Lucas was not going to share this time.

The next two minutes were almost silent, the only sounds were of silverware clinking a plate and the usual crackling of the flames consuming the firewood. When the boy finished, he set the clean plate next to the empty tea cup on the bed, and let out a satisfied sigh while leaning back, allowing the meal to sink in. It had been a while since he had last eaten properly. Though he was left with wanting more, this would have to do for now.

Flint had allowed him to finish before being tempted to ask about his day. He was curious to what Lucas had done all afternoon and how the meeting with the princess went. He had his own ideas though, believing his son had encountered some danger along the way and had learned some more of that 'dangerous power' like that lightning he could now summon. Flint was certain he did not possess that ability before. Due to this, he continued to regard the young woman as a bad influence on his son; encouraging him to use his powers. He was quick to stop himself from thinking this, remembering his promise about being more open about everything.

"So. Uh. . . How did the meeting go?" He asked awkwardly.

He had forgotten about that already and now the last person he thought would remind him of it had brought it up. Lucas, who was becoming too relaxed, sat up straighter, cleared his throat and said, "W—we talked about it and she suggested we should go and check it out. I agreed to meet her tomorrow morning at the station to go and talk to Mr. Wess about it too." He said this with his right eye open while the other was shut. He rubbed his left temple using the palm of his hand to ease the headache.

"I see." Flint looked away for a moment. "What _else_ did you do?" He figured that was not all the boy had done. The man knew his son could not have returned in the state he had been in, only to be told that he had just _talked_ all afternoon.

Lucas sensed he was about to pry and he felt uncomfortable telling him anything else. He still felt his father would disprove of his activities, even after Flint admitted he was going to be more supportive. "N—not much really." He wiped the sweat on his forehead.

Flint stood to rinse the cloth again and placed it beside the boy. "Lucas please. . . just be honest with me. I know there must have been more going on, otherwise you would not have come home in the condition that you were in." He paused then asked, "Were you attacked in the forest or did you run into trouble?"

"Nothing happened dad." He found it difficult to lie. It was true that he had been targeted with an attack form Kumatora but it was just for practice reasons and he _did not_ want to admit that he had done this damage to himself on accident just because he couldn't control himself.

"Lucas, I need to know the truth. Was there something dangerous that you discovered that you don't want to talk about?"

"No." He began clenching the fringe of his shirt.

"Did—did _she_ do this—"

"_Nothing happened!" _Lucas exclaimed threateningly and unintentionally through the use of his telepathy, his voice echoing throughout the room. He had shut his eyes and clenched his teeth, accidentally allowing a slip of his powers, and releasing a tiny psychic pulse. The tea cup that was set aside cracked and gave a small burst, shattering on the bed. Flint drew back and was astonished to see the cup explode like that and did not expect to hear Lucas's voice resonate the way it did.

The psychic was just _irritated_ at no one. Before his PSI slipped again, he needed to use it purposefully to fling something that was within his reach. He was about to settle on launching the plate, but he had already broken one dish so he psychokineticaly took hold of one of the pillows to his left using his sparking right hand and sent it catapulting to the other end of the house. It slammed against the wall and hit the ground, some of the feathers from the interior bursting out of the torn seams. Boney jumped at this, his fur standing on end like a scared kitten.

The angered psychic bawled then panted during the action. His shaking arm was extended in the direction he had sent the pillow. His hand was in a claw-like grip as if grabbing an invisible object then it became a fist and he set his arm down. He did not know what was the matter with him as he felt like lashing out for the slightest things. He hung his head and expressed his guilt, _"I'm sorry dad. . ." _He spoke without moving his lips. He found _thinking_ his words aloud was simpler than using his physical body. _"I'm not angry with you. It's just that I have. . . _this headache." He finished by using his own voice and rest his head on both hands.

Flint understood that his ailments were most likely the cause of his irritability; the headache being the reason for his powers being unstable so he cautiously came closer, picked up the towel and placed it on his forehead. "Th—that's okay son. I shouldn't have asked when you are not feeling alright to talk. It's just. . . I _worry."_

Lucas looked down as Flint held the cool cloth on his forehead. _You don't have to worry about me. I have always taken care of myself._ Lucas thought. He never needed Flint's help in the past, not even during his journey. But this was not true in the moment and his father felt the need to help his son even if he did not want it. Lucas began to understand his father's fears as they had strongly manifested themselves. He knew Flint feared for his well-being and sensed what he dread the most, that Lucas could possibly meet the same fate as his other son. . .

"Sorry about the cup."

"That's quite alright. I have no issue with just purchasing new ones." Flint preferred that he targeted a cup rather than setting something else on fire again.

"It's just that Kumatora said that I have to use my powers more often so I don't have built up energy. That's why I felt I needed to use them on something." He wanted to provide an explanation for his behavior on the pillow. "If I hold them back for too long, than it can start affecting me. I think that's why my power has been getting out without me making it and why I've had trouble controlling —" He stopped as he shifted his eyes to his father's arms. "D—Dad, you're _hurt."_

"Hm?" He paused and noticed how he had his sleeves raised from washing the cloth and preparing the food. Though the burns he had received from the falling branches had been stinging, he did not place his needs in front of his son's and tried his best to ignore the pain. "Oh this? It's alright. It's nothing I can't patch up quickly."

Lucas pushed his father's arms away to get a better look, his face expressing worry so Flint allowed him to examine them. There were many patches of raw flesh as they must have still continued to burn even after the hot material had been gone. Lucas was most concerned of the largest two, one on each limb that covered half of Flint's forearms. He found it astounding that he continued to move them as if nothing was wrong; he was very tough. From the looks of it, the man must have used his arms to shield himself from parts of the burning tree. The tree that _he_ had set fire to.

"No, it's _not_ alright." Lucas said firmly knowing this was his fault. "You should have told me. You know that I can fix this up right away."

The hatted man pulled his arms away and replied, "No Lucas, you shouldn't bother. You ought to conserve your strength."

This response made the boy furrow his brows and he knew this could not have been the only reason Flint did not want him to use his powers. "Dad, you said you would be okay with this. Besides, healing does not take a lot of energy."

The man was still unsure. Though Lucas could not see, his eyes in shadow under his hat had shifted to the sleeping bird. The boy had used healing energy on it and it had not refused or reacted negatively at all. Although his son had cast his healing powers on him in the past, (just before Lucas had pulled the last Needle) he still found the sensation very strange; the regenerative process was sped up unnaturally and he could feel as his body mended itself but through Lucas's will instead of his own. This was a very uncomfortable feeling to say the least.

Flint had no reason to refuse and he knew Lucas would not allow it. So he reluctantly extended his arms and had the injured side facing up. Flint saw as the young psychic's eyes began to shine as he prepared his PSI again but not as bright as before. His face became stern while he concentrated and because of the ongoing headache, summoning the energy was much more difficult. Lucas found he needed to place his index finger to his forehead and close his eyes just before the action, this helped him gather his focus and channel his psychic energy. His other arm extended over the injured area. The hatted man saw as a green spark of energy flickered into existence and Lucas kept it suspended on his downward facing palm. The spark was different this time, its intensity seemed to fluctuate, fading in and out and the light grew weaker as it shined. Flint saw the struggle on his son's face.

"_L—life-up β." _Lucas eventually managed to say. The light grew to its brightest and began to trickle tiny sparks—then fizzled out. The psychic opened his eyes in puzzlement, unsure of what had happened. He tried gathering the same level of healing energy again but only this time on his index finger. The spark appeared again but when he was about to release it, the gleam only faded slowly until it died down. The boy did not know why this was and it took him a bit to understand he did not have enough psychic points for the action. So he had to settle for a less energy demanding PSI technique for the healing process. He tried once more but instead said, _"Life-up α."_

Finally, the small green glimmer shone, and it's influence was sent to the man's injuries. The less intense twinkling sparks flowed down and began to mend the burns. With amazement, Flint saw as Lucas had worked his 'magic', and the torn areas had reverted back to their healthy skin. He resisted the urge to scratch at his arms, the rapid healing causing an overwhelming crawling and itchy feeling that Flint wanted to rub away but thought the action would have been rude. When the boy finished, he gasped for air, as he had been holding his breath during the process.

Flint looked over his forearms in disbelief and ran his hands over them, feeling no pain when touched. As he placed pressure over his skin, he could still feel a hollow soreness but this level of restoration was good enough for him. "Thank you son."

The boy smiled weakly and began feeling his heart race as if he had run to Sunshine Forest and back again without stopping; this simple action taking more out of him than expected. "It's not my best work. Only the surface is okay and beneath the skin it might still not be healed all the way. I—I tried using a more advanced healing level to mend it properly, but I think I'm out." He had _barely_ managed the weaker technique and realized how low on power he was. Just to assure of this, he extended an arm to the plate on the bed and attempted to psychically pick it up. Flint looked on, curious about what he was trying to do. As much as Lucas tried, the dish did not budge and he allowed his arm to drop in defeat. He had finally managed to deplete his psychic energy, a rare instance. No wonder the headache pounded so hard.

"Heh heh, yeah I'm out." He couldn't help but smile at the irony. Of course he ran out of power when he was about to use it to aid someone. He also grinned at the fact that this was an occasion in which he could finally be _normal_ and without his powers getting in the way, at least temporarily until they were eventually replenished by means of proper rest.

A level of drowsiness washed over him and he found himself leaning back and placed an arm over his forehead, covering his vision from the firelight. The heat radiating from his head burned his arm. Although he yawned, he could not allow himself to fall asleep with the fever burning to this degree but he still allowed his eyes to close. . .

Flint rolled his sleeves back down even though they had holes and tears. He stood up slowly from the edge of the bed where he had been sitting and glanced to his son's growing pale face; the remaining color from it had been flushed after using the last ounces of his PSI. Knowing the importance of Lucas's demand for proper rest, he cautiously and quietly made his way back to the kitchen but not before picking up the plate and the shards from the broken cup, being mindful of the sharp edges.

As quiet as he was, he could not help what was about to break the tranquility that had settled in the house. Just as sleep was beginning to take the young boy, the bird lying beside him began to wake. "Prrr prrr prr." It opened its eyes and fluffed and ruffled its feathers, stood on the bed with a jerking hop, and looked to the boy lying next to it. "Pidgey!" It called out. Flint jumped at the sudden sound and Lucas woke with a start.

Flint turned to the bird and rebuked with a sharp _"Shhh!" _but it was too late. Lucas sat up startled at the call. He rubbed the sleep away from his eyes and looked down at the feathered thing that had addressed him. At least he thought it called to him, he could no longer tell as his abilities had been nullified.

The little bird saw it had the boy's attention and straightened out. "Pidge! Prr prrrr prr prrrridge prr prrr rrr!" The curious-looking bird said as if it was presenting something to the blond. Its wing was against its breast as if in the middle of a speech. Then it closed its eyes and gave a little bow.

"What does it want Lucas?" Flint asked wondering about its peculiar behavior, knowing his son would interpret it.

"Umm, I don't know. I can't tell what he's saying anymore." Since his PSI was completely drained, he could not use his skills to understand the bird. He could not even manage simple techniques like his telepathy.

"Prridge prrrrr prrr!" Then the bird opened its eyes and looked down to its leg. It tilted its head and saw as there was nothing. "Prrrr?" It looked behind itself to the spot it had been resting on. It became nervous and moved its head around in panic as if desperately searching for something. Its eyes went white with terror and its beak was gaping open. Then it let out a high-pitched shre—

"_PIIIIDGEYYYY!" _Leaping in the air and taking flight around the house, the bird squawked madly as it frantically flapped its wings and glided every which way, as if it had gone insane. Boney barked as it fluttered and he chased its movement, leaping up and trying to catch the bird between his teeth when it flew too close to the floor.

"Lucas we need to open the door! It wants out!" Flint yelled as he rushed to the entrance.

As he reached to the doorknob, Lucas objected with a loud, "No, don't!" and saw as Flint ducked from a quick swoop the bird had performed, his hat had caught the draft and blew off his head, floating down quickly.

The bird dived and slammed against the spinning wheel Flint used for wool, and created a crashing sound that caught everyone by surprise. Next, it flew into one of the oil lamps that Flint had placed on the counter. The man dived and caught the lamp just before it hit the ground, drops of kerosene dripped onto his hand and on the floor.

The crazed bird had lost its lift and swerved towards the corner of the house, beside the fireplace and onto the shelf where the firewood was neatly stacked. Lucas saw as it hit the shelf, knocking many pieces of firewood down before it landed over them, unconscious.

Lucas sprang out of bed, his legs not being able to withstand the sudden weight caused him to collapse on the floor before forcing himself up with his hands. He rushed to the bird and saw as Boney was already sniffing at the floor inspecting the area. The labrador caught the smell of fresh lumber as it floated above to the ceiling. The sawdust quickly settled around creating a thin layer of powder on the polished wooden floor. Lucas found the bird laying on its back on the pile of firewood, its wings spread out. "Rrrrr rrrr. . ." it seemed to make these quiet sounds as it lay there. Lucas reached over and lifted the small trembling body and carried it back to the bed.

Flint, beginning to disapprove of the small and unstable feathered animal said, "It's fainted, can you do anything to help it?"

"Not without my PK abilities, and I don't have time to rest so I can get them back. I need to heal him fast, I can't tell how badly he's hurt or talk to him to ask why he acted that way." The tired boy thought to finally do something he had planned since he was in the forest, visit the hot-spring. Now that he was up, he might as well go for a walk to overcome the fever and get the bird some help.

"It could have been startled by something." Flint added knowing the bird had been fine moments before it became flustered. He searched the house for signs that could have provoked the bird to rebound in such a way. His eyes set on Boney who had become roused at the exhilarating scenario. "It could have seen Boney and that's what set it off."

"No it couldn't have been that." He said as he searched around. He found what he was looking for neatly placed by the side of the bed and quickly slipped them on, not bothering to untie the shoe laces first. They fit loosely but they were tight enough to stay on comfortably.

"Lucas, you can't go out now." Flint objected, observing how motivated the boy had become. "You really ought to rest."

"I can't lie here and do _nothing _to help him Dad. Besides, I need to get rid of this fever and its not going to go away until I get out of here." He said this while not making eye contact. His father was always less intimidating without his hat on but even now he could not face him. Lucas picked up the small fragile body and made his way to the door. Boney happily began to follow but Lucas would not have it. Even now without his PSI, he could sense the dog wanting to come along. "No Boney, you stay here."

The labrador was as stubborn as he was so he did not even pause at the command. Lucas then stood at the door, blocking the way. "I said NO Boney." He made certain his voice sounded more demanding this time. The lab complained and hesitated, unsure about the tone the boy had used.

Kumatora was right, he could not have Boney holding his hand wherever he went. He _wanted _ to go alone this time. Not to prove it to her or anyone else, but to prove it to himself.

"Lucas think about this. You need his company, at least during the night. You are not well rested and if you run into trouble_—" _

"What, do you think I'm _defenseless _without my powers? That I can't take care of myself?" He wanted to make his aggravation known now.

"No, that's not what I_—"_

"Because you wouldn't be the first person to say that today." He was at the point where if he had any energy left, he would have let it slip again. Though only now since he had it depleted, attempting to release a small amount of PSI only caused major discomfort and a stream of pain that shot through his head like an arrow, his mind attempting to draw power where there was none. He winced at the pain, shut his eyes tightly, and clenched his jaw. Lucas knew that under normal circumstances, he would not have acted this way. He just needed to feel better and his agitation along with his lashing behavior would go away. He did not want his father to be the one he was taking it out on.

Flint being perceptive of this could tell he was not thinking straight and remembered he had to remain neutral; his son needed some time on his own to heal. As a father, it was difficult to hold his worries but simultaneously, trying to help the boy resulted in responses of anger, his illness being the culprit of his violent actions.

"It's not far. I'll be back real quick." He wiped his brow one last time before opening the door and slamming it shut, the door shuttering as it closed.

Flint picked up his hat and patted it against his leg, shaking off any debris that it had, and placed it back on his head. "Be careful son." He whispered. He glanced at Boney who had been rejected for the first time.

Boney had his head hung down, whining silently. He did not understand, he always had to take his boy for a walk or the boy would get lost. But now the boy wanted to go alone. The lab thought he had done something wrong again but then believed it was the bird's fault; he had been replaced by a brown chicken! He knew he should have chewed on him when he had the chance! But then the boy would have said "Bad dog!" and Boney knew those were very bad words. He began feeling shame, then walked over next to his bowl, some kibble had scattered on the ground after chasing the bird, and lied down, keeping his eyes fixed on the door to be ready when it opened, expecting the boy would come back for him.

Flint had been observing the labrador and wondered what was going through his mind then his thoughts went back to his son. He suspected Lucas was finding an excuse to leave and knew his son would return when he was ready. He could no longer do much except wait until his return. So he tried finding something to do to take his mind away from waiting. He cleaned up, picking up the spinning wheel then went over to adjust the chopped firewood back on the shelf. He took the broom leaning against the mantelpiece, many bristles out of place, and swept up the sawdust. The motions and rhythm of the sweeping soon became like a distant melody, a tune played in the back of his mind, and Flint reminisced about the times he had danced with his wife on this very floor. . .


	9. The Path to the Forest

I don't like writing grumpy Lucas but it must be done to make the reading more interesting with character development and that stuff. Don't worry though, this is all part of the healing process and he'll get over it soon.

Chapter 9: The Path to the Forest

The night was chilled as the sun had abandoned the sky and another cream-white orb had taken its place, reflecting the light from the center star like a vast mirror. The moon was crawling its way up higher and soon, the ocean waves reflected the same light as well, the ripples and movement caused broken light to create twinkles in the water just like a cluster of distant stars. The moon was the only form of illumination the boy could use to navigate but he did not need it. The path was so familiar, he could walk to town and possibly even to the forest with his eyes closed. It was still nice to have the clear night sky and a source of light as company.

As he stepped away from the door, Lucas held his breath and exhaled slowly through his mouth, his breath vaporized and drifted into the air. Breathing this way always helped him through his fevers as it was a way of expelling extra heat without him have to drench his clothes in sweat. His pounding brain was grateful for the extra oxygen although it carried a hint of sea salt as the ocean spray did reach him from this distance.

Though he was hot, he was unsure about whether or not the bird felt the same way. The night could have seemed much colder to anyone else so he needed to do this quick as to not expose the weak feathered animal to harsh elements that could provoke further illness. He would have broken into a sprint if he could, but all he did was curse at the fever. So instead he began to walk as fast as his legs would allow him to.

He was quick to run into his first obstacle as he had the habit of dragging his feet sometimes. This and his own clumsiness were a bad combination. He stepped over a round object hidden in the grass and almost slipped backwards. The state of panic allowed him to react briskly and regain his balance before he fell. After the panic had dissipated, the first thought that came to mind was Boney and how he had left the baseball lying around then strangely, and very briefly, he thought of a banana peel. He picked up his shoe and looked under, only to find it was not Boney's doing but his own. It was his stick in the soil where he must have dropped it when he lost consciousness. The boy picked it up while balancing the bird in the other arm. Now he was deciding whether or not to bring it along. His hands were already busy and using telekinesis was not an option either. Boney was absent so he had one less inventory holder. Lucas thought about where he was headed and made the final decision, knowing it was unlikely he would run into any trouble. He leaned the stick on Boney's dog house and noticed how it had a leaf missing like something had taken a bite out of it. He looked around and gave the first sheep he found a dirty look, being certain it had eaten one of the leaves.

As he walked along the lit path that the moonlight was generous enough to provide, his mind had wandered to how many times he had either fell or had come close to falling today and was glad he would not have to endure any more of this. How ever many it was, he did not feel like counting. Then his mind went back to why he had thought of banana peels.

The slippery fruit skin was his bane and only caused hated memories to resurface. They had, on more than one occasion, caused him to fall on his face. One time they were even the cause of a crash, as the Pork Bean (an automobile that the Pigmasks used), he had been piloting had slipped on many that had been carelessly tossed in the middle of the road. Though it was a hovering machine, how it managed to slip on peels it never came into physical contact with was a mystery to Lucas who could not help but ask himself these questions, knowing there was not always a reasonable explanation to everything.

The fruit was not the root of his annoyance and hatred, nor was the peel. But the one they reminded him of. The one who had brought changes to his beloved town, and caused the citizens to fall into greed and materialism. The single person who introduced the "Happy Boxes" to the naïve people of Tazmily, all while promising them false beliefs of happiness. And the _traitor_ among the Magypsies. In Lucas's book, Locria was just as bad as the Pig King. If it had not been for him, hidden secrets of the Dark Dragon and the Needles would not have been discovered and his life would not have taken a turn for the worst.

Lucas allowed his anger to simmer, knowing well that his psychic powers would not interfere this time and being aware there was no one else around to be a victim of his rage. He hated himself for being this angry about things beyond his control, focusing energy on something not worth it was a waste. He then remembered _all of that_ was going to happen eventually, just like the Magypsies said it would. It needed to occur in order for the earth to be restored to its former glory and begin the process of healing once again. It could have happened to anyone but it all fell on him and his family. This burden to be carried on the back of a _child_, was cruel. . . Maybe that was how it was meant to be. It was as if he had been a _Chosen One; _a fate that was placed on him by the Universe or Gods unknown. Maybe even Mother Earth herself having faith in him, deciding only a child could have the purest heart necessary to wake the Dark Dragon. Placing the sake of the earth on that same heart which possessed the potential for darkness—being plagued by unfortunate events and depressing memories—was a risk. In the end, the earth took that chance, knowing he would have made the right choice when the time came. Even against all odds and in a wicked twist, against the closest member of his family, he would have been the only one to pull through and do what was right, at the cost of his own comfort and happiness. . .

He did not care about fate. His life was not to be decided by _anyone_ but himself. His existence was not something a higher being, if it existed, was meant to fiddle with, like a figure piece on a game board.

All of this traveled through the young psychic's head at a rapid rate. If he had not been so enveloped in anger and pessimism, he would not have considered any of this and waste his time building ideas of false realities or an alternate outcome. What this was doing only resulted in him revisiting memories of pain and emotional turmoil. He could not help but think this way in his current weary state. The only way he could resolve this was by being fully healed and if he had gone to Kokori Hot-Spring before, then this could have been prevented. The sooner he arrived there, the better. His mental health being at stake even more than his physical one, and the physical health being affected, only created a trail for his mind to follow suit.

Lucas was now in Town Square so he paused to look around and noticed how no one in their right mind was out in the cold night. He had passed the lights shinning through the windows of the Yado Inn. He glanced around to see all the other houses in a similar state, families together, and warm in their cozy homes, laughing and talking while having a great time. He envied their comfortable lifestyles and ignorance, not caring about the dangers of the world or the suffering of others.

The sound of jingling keys broke him from the pleasing silence he was experiencing and he turned to look behind himself. There was the sound of whistling and Lucas saw the figure of a man as he turned on the path. Thomas, minding his own business, came to an abrupt halt when he finally noticed the blond teen standing in the middle of the path like a statue, _staring _at him with cold eyes, his eyebrows furrowed. Thomas jumped backwards and came extremely close to falling back.

"Holy mother of — I-I mean, L-Lucas! I didn't see you there!"

The boy stood still and continued to stare, _uncomfortably_ at him. Thomas found this strange as the boy would usually greet everyone pleasantly and politely. But the store owner was quick to notice he was slightly off his rocker, and became somewhat nervous.

"I-it's nice out tonight eh? Good enough to go for an evening stroll around town huh?"

". . ."

"D-don'tmindme. Just closing shop for the night." He said meekly while stuttering. He noticed the limp bird in the boy's arms and gulped as his current appearance and behavior gave him the wrong idea. There was nothing off or creepy about him at all. _Before._ Maybe he had made a mistake in defending him earlier.

Thomas felt stuck and did not know what to do. He felt the boy would do something to him if he just left so he thought of something quick and reached into his pockets until he pulled out a slip of paper and waved it in front of the blond. "Oh, well look what I have here! It's a coupon for your next visit to the Bazaar! Half price of your next purchase of five items or more." Thomas saw as the boy's expression did not change, "You-you know what? Scratch that. Your next purchase is free! I won't charge ya any DP! Heh, heh." His arm was shivering and not because of the cold.

Lucas's expression turned from being serious to that of confusion as if he had no clue of what he had been offered. The boy reached out slowly and accepted the coupon and stared at it as well. He blinked several times while his mind was elsewhere. Thomas quickly withdrew his hand and twiddled his fingers around.

"W-well see you around Lucas and tell your dad I said good evening!" He turned around nervously and began heading home. If Lucas could still read minds he would have heard Thomas shouting in his own head, _Don't turn back, don't turn back_—_ oops I said not to turn back you idiot! That kid could light you on fire just by looking at you so its best to stay away from his bad side!_

Lucas continued to stare at the piece of paper, lost in thought almost as if having no memory of what just happened. He shook his head and thought, _Uhh what was I doing again?_ Before he came back to reality. He shoved the coupon in his front pocket out of impulse and moved onward.

Once the boy was out of view, Thomas peeked out from behind the corner of a building. _That kid's not right. I'd better check on Flint. No. He would never do anything to harm his father now. _Would _he? _Thomas was unsure but he felt the need to go, just to be sure.

The teen soon arrived at the scene where the panicked town had gathered a few hours ago. In the moonlight, Pusher's house seemed like a mansion compared to the rest of the houses, but only the fraction of the size of the once Osohe Castle, and not nearly as mysterious and majestic. Even if the castle had been worn away, there had still been an antique charm and feel to it unlike this frivolous house drenched in unnecessary extravagance, especially for the amount of people living in it. But among it all, what caught his eyes was not the house but what lay before it. He planted his feet and froze before taking it all in.

The destruction of the tree and the overall sight broke Lucas from his wandering mind. The soil had patches of black coal mixed with ash and larger burned branches were scattered all along the front yard of the house. There was no evidence of smaller branches as they must have been the first ones to burn away. What remain of the tree was nothing more than a trunk and three of the thickest branches which were charred black. Very few leaves survived the scorching and the thin forking branches that remained were hardly visible due to the dark sky. They were too well blended, as Lucas hardly caught their silhouette. Along the perimeter, there was rope to prevent anyone from coming into close contact with the scene. There was a sign that hung from the rope that read:

Caution, there was a fire here. This sign is here to stop citizens from proceeding and not to point out the obvious. Chances are, you already figured out what happened here and that it is dangerous to go beyond this point so there is no need for this sign, but this sign is up anyway and you are still reading it. In the time you have spent reading it, you could have concurred what happened; that there was a fire. Cleanup crew will get to it. Eventually.

He pushed the useless sign out of his field of view. The sudden realization hit him like a stone that had been tossed at his head. A small slip of his PSI had caused _all of this_. This could not have been possible. He always had restrain of his abilities even if he did not have complete control of them yet. Even if his powers were increasing, Lucas could not allow this to happen again. No wonder Thomas acted so nervously around him. He immediately blamed Elmore. _If she hadn't said those things about Mom and Clau_—no he could not shift the blame on others. This was his mistake and his mistake alone. He never let peoples' words get to him. _Ever_. This should not have been any different.

He left this scene without turning back, after he had already engraved it in his mind. Upon realizing someone could have been seriously hurt, his guilt began to manifest within his heart and made its way down, creating a shallow pit in his stomach. His father had been a victim and he hardly had the strength to help him. What if others had been injured more severely in trying to clear away the havoc he had caused?

Dozens of possible outcomes floated in his mind, but he could not focus on what _could_ _have_ happened but what _did happen_ and what had occurred was not grave. He needed to take it easy as worrying this much was not helping, it only contributed to his sickly state.

The blond passed the Crossroads and the Train Station, heading west to the forest. He was almost to his destination and closer to the salvation that was the Hot-Sping. Entering the first areas of forest, he saw many nocturnal animals going about their way like the owl that was perched on a high branch. He thought he saw a raccoon scurry across the ground and noticed a green blur hop away quickly but did not spend the time to suspect who it was. The outside of the Prayer Sanctuary always had lit torches and Lucas felt the warmth from them for a moment before entering the areas with thicker branches where moonlight hardly made its way through.

As he passed the great gnarled tree stump that acted as an archway, it suddenly became dead quiet. Even during the dark hours of the night, the animals provided sounds that hinted to their existence but at this moment the crickets stopped chirping and the owls no longer hooted. It was as if even the wind stopped blowing and he felt like pressure was blocking his ears, preventing sound to resonate in his eardrums. Something was off. Suspecting there was someone waiting for him further ahead, he did not dare proceed. The blond held his breath and took a step forward. It was unfortunate he could not use his sixth sense for that extra perception, he could have really used it now.

The shy boy heard a snap to his right and quickly turned in the direction, moving his eyes rapidly for any glimpse of motion, searching for the hidden culprit. He took two more steps back and heard another snap, but this time it was him who had crunched a twig beneath his heel.

Lucas told himself that he was not scared, that this was just an unsettling feeling that was natural for anyone to have, especially when walking into the woods at this time. He had done it many times in the past, this was nothing new so he should not have been afraid. _Yeah, but I was always accompanied by someone. _Why didn't he bring some form of light with him? He had just walked past two lit torches and could have easily brought one along. It would not have gotten in his way as holding one was possible while also carrying the bird. _Damn this headache, it's not letting me think straight._ Even if he was cursing in his mind, he knew it was not proper and criticized himself for doing so. A little of Kumatora's colorful language had rubbed off on him it seemed.

Rustling began in the branches where he had heard the snap of a twig. Whatever was back there, he was not prepared to confront it. His mind immediately conceived thoughts of a predator, a coyote perhaps and his fight or flight response kicked in, as he found himself performing the latter. As fast as he could, though he appeared to be at a jogging speed rather than a sprint, he rushed through the path while facing back, fear of being pursued. Not looking in front of himself, he crashed into something hard and rebound backwards, falling on his rear.

"AHH-OUCH! Hey, watch where you're going!"

Whatever he had hit had talked! A wave of relief washed over him as he could not have hoped to run into anything else. Just knowing there was someone else out here, felt reassuring.

"Oh hey Lucas, it's just you." said a voice Lucas had not heard in a long time, but knew very well.

He shook his head before opening his eyes. "F-F-Fuel! Oh, I'm glad it's just you too!" Lucas could not detain his inner relief so he spoke out a bit too forcefully while he stood. He looked over the other boy who was his age. The blond could see him wearing his usual plain white T-shirt with red short sleeves, under his unfamiliar blue hoodie sweatshirt which he had unzipped. He still wore his pair of dark khaki shorts and his red sneakers. Over his shoulder, he was carrying a tool belt with equipment used by a lumberjack. Fuel was rubbing the side of his brown pointed hair where Lucas had butt heads with him.

"Hey dude, you okay? And aren't you cold? It's like forty degrees out here, five if you're talking Celsius." He had to ask as he was freezing up and watching Lucas walking around without appropriate warm clothing, made him feel colder.

"Y-yeah, I-I'm fine." Was all Lucas could muster. He turned once more to look behind himself before glancing down at the bird, assuring it had not come to any harm.

"Really? You don't look fine. It looks like you've been around too many campfires." he bluntly said, scanning over his scraggly appearance. He must not have known about the incident in town yet. "What are you doing out here by yourself anyway, and what were you running from?" He looked over Lucas's shoulder to the dark direction he had come from before following his eyes to see what he was holding. "Wait, did you get _scared_ by something?" He said with a grin.

"N-no! I'm just in a hurry to get to the Hot-Spring, this little guy needs help. Wait, what are _you _doing out here _by yourself?_" Lucas knew Lighter would not approve of his son going out into the forest on his own, especially at this hour. Deliberately disobeying him would not end well for Fuel, he had nothing but bad experiences whenever he would venture into the forest alone.

"Right back at me huh? Alright you got me, but don't tell my dad, you know I would get into so much trouble if he found out." He paused for a moment, not wanting to speak out his error. "I went to get my dad's equipment. I _kind of _dropped it when I was out here with him earlier and I know he would kill me if I had lost it." He shook his shoulder upwards, allowing the tool belt a moment in the air as a way of gesturing to it to avoid pulling his hands that were tucked away in his sweater pockets. "Either I told him I lost them or come back looking for them. He would be mad at me either way so I took the chance at searching for them plus, I plan on him never finding out I came out here. Which means, you never saw me and I never saw you, you got that?" he looked around Lucas. "Hey, where's Boney? At this point, he would be jumping up tryin' to lick my face."

"Oh, I made him stay home, he gets too excited around the bird." He replied not wanting to tell Fuel the true reason for his absence.

"Hm, what kind of bird is it? I've never seen one like that before." He took his hand out and placed a finger onto its head and scratched gently. It moved slightly and purred deeply in its sleep.

"I'm not sure but I know he's not from around here because I saw him flying to the islands just before he lost control. I saved him before he fell into the ocean. I thought he was fine at first then he kind of flew into my shelf so that's why I'm on my way to the hot-spring to get him fixed up."

"Umm can't you like, you know, heal him? With your powers I mean?" Fuel suggested unsure about what he was saying as he did not know the extent of his abilities. Unbeknownst to Lucas, Lighter had told him not to mention Lucas's powers at all, and especially when he was around him. It was almost as if he wanted Fuel to pretend Lucas was normal boy. He did not approve of his son being in the same environment as the psychic boy, who would possibly cast a bad influence.

"I wish I could. Actually, I'm out of power so I can't do anything."

"That can happen? I thought you could always use it." He tried examining its small body in the dark. "I mean, he looks fine but I can't really see. Not very smart about not bringing a torch right?"

"Are you talking about you or me?" Lucas's tone when questioning sounded ambiguous, as if accusing Fuel of the same mistake.

"Both of us I guess. I've been out here for over two hours and it was still light out when I started looking. If I'd known it was gonna get dark as fast as it did, I would have brought some matches or something. I didn't expect I was going to be out this long and I was beginning to freak out at one point when I couldn't find the stupid tool belt and it would have been impossible to search in the darkness! I didn't want to have ta leave just to get a lamp then come back and risk getting caught. But I was lucky to find them just as the light went away. What's your excuse?"

"E-excuse? About what?" The blond was already lost.

"Well that explains it. I'm guessing you were just forgetful?" _Typical Lucas, _he thought. Lucas could not hear this though.

"No that's not it, I didn't bring one because I know I don't need it. I'm not going too far, just up ahead. Why would I have to bring a lamp over nothing? It's not like I'm afraid of the dark or anything." He tried saying this confidently but there was a shudder in his voice. He did not want to admit to Fuel that the idea of bringing a lamp was a good one, but it had slipped his mind.

"Hmm, you sure about that? I don't mind going with you to the hot-spring if you feel scared Lucas."

"I'm _not _scared Fuel, it's literally _right over there._ I'll be fine. You'd better get back to your dad before he finds out you are not where he thinks you are and starts looking for you."

"Aww man, you're right, but I don't know, I still think I should go with you. It's pretty spooky back there."

Lucas found himself smiling. "What, are _you scared _of the dark?"

"_Aahhkk, _yeah right! I just spent the last hour in the dark _by myself! _I'm not scared of _anything!' _He held his head up high and crossed his arms then quickly dug them back into his pockets.

"Well, good for you then, but I have to get going." Lucas said and slipped passed the other boy. "I'll see you later Fuel."

"Alright, but don't say I didn't warn ya about going at it alone." The brunet said as he walked in the opposite direction.

Once the other boy was out of hearing range, Lucas began muttering in a sour tone to himself, "Fuel, thinking I'm scared of the dark, that I can't even walk to the hot-spring by myself." _Why does everyone still think I can't be on my own for two minutes? I can do it. It's notta big deal. _The blond thought while staring at the ground to his shoes as they kicked up dirt from his steps. The bird was in his field of view and it stirred at the sound of his voice.

"Hey, we're almost there just wait a bit more." He spoke, though it fell on deaf ears.

Lucas had walked into a fork in the path; one that lead north to Mt. Oriander and beside that road was abandoned remains of a house. The other path where his destination resided, was just ahead. This fork had a pleasant clearing and it was easier to identify the shapes of the vicinity in the night. Just as he took a few steps, he heard quiet movement behind him. He knew who could have been causing that dragging sound, maybe in an attempt to scare him. The PK user had become irritated as he had already dismissed the other boy. "Ugg, I said I'm _fine _Fuel you don't have to come—" And he turned around to find no one. There it was again, that same eerie silence from before.

"Fuel, cut it out, you're not scaring anyone, gosh how predictable can you—" He turned back and was cut off abruptly by something that viciously lashed out at his legs like a whip, creating two deep gashes above his ankles.

Breaking into a heavier sweat that before, Lucas hissed and recoiled. He bent over, stabilizing himself using a hand that he had freed up. "Ah, what—?" Then he looked in front of himself to a shadow on the ground, following it to what was casting it. He froze and felt a chill in his heart as if it had been struck by a PK Freeze. No, this could not be real, he did not want to believe it but here it was, right in front of him.

Before the boy in the clear moonlight was a snake; a snake who's head had been spliced with that of a chicken. It had white plumage and a red crest while its serpent body was green with a diamond-like pattern that trailed down its back. Though these creatures had never been intimidating, there was something about this specific one that displayed malice unlike any other Lucas had ever encountered. This one did not seem to attack randomly like they all did as it had struck him accordingly at a targeted weak spot. This one was out for _blood_. His blood specifically as Lucas could see it in its glowing red eyes and the tip of its sharp beak that dripped with the red liquid.

He was motionless as it took his brain a long moment to process what he was witnessing. It hurt to stand but he did it quickly regardless of his small injury. Holding the sleeping bird in one arm, he began positioning himself in a defensive—

The Slitherhen sprang up at him like a compressed spring, using its potential energy to strike swiftly, aiming for his neck. Lucas swerved to the left, avoiding the attack then created distance between him and the abomination, reaching out over his shoulder with his right hand out of reflex to grab his weapon.

But it was not there.

He did not have time to think about what he did with his stick before the chimera slithered to his legs and pecked rapidly, chipping away at his balance and the remaining stamina that he had tried to conserve. This predicament had just begun and he was already panting heavily. Lucas felt too weak to do this but he was not going to let this thing continue its minuscule assault and running away seemed like an unlikely solution in his current state so he needed to stand his ground. Even without being armed, he had some experience in hand-to-hand combat, usually bashing at enemies using his fists and kicks. He preferred the latter as punching the enemy was out of the question.

Lucas waited for an opening before attempting a series of kicks to stomp on the grounded creature, growing a little frustrated that his attacks missed. The chimera quickly adapted and immediately changed its tactic. It backed away then slithered in a zigzag motion to pick up speed, launched itself at a forty five degree angle, and began to position itself in a circle and spin like a wheel. While still in the air it came down on him, landing a quick blow square on his forehead using its tail before landing and hissing fiercely in triumph as if to _mock_ him. The teen found this opening and performed an untrained round-kick, sending the chimera away but it quickly recovered. It slithered around him, looking for another angle to strike. The boy had trouble following its movement due to the low light and the speed at which it shifted and he turned too late. At his side, he felt as another quick slash pierced his skin and felt warm liquid trickle down his forearm.

"Aahhgg!" He staggered and leaned towards the ground. The bird almost fell out of his grasp so he adjusted his hold. In his other hand, he could feel a hard object and firmly took hold of it, waiting for the creature's next move.

The Slitherhen saw as he was in a recoiled state and lunged at him once again. But Lucas was prepared this time and flung the rock at it, hitting the center of its green body and the yellow scales of its under belly. The chimera's shriek was a mixture of a hiss and a rooster's caw, two sounds that were never meant to combine in such a way, were very unpleasant to the ears. It fell back as it coiled itself in pain before it slithered into the darker shadows. Lucas took the opportunity to stand and began searching for anything he could use for defense. Just to his left was a branch attached to a tree by a splinter. It had many thinner branches that forked out and ended with partly shriveled leaves. He yanked it free and turned around in preparation for the next strike. He looked over his new weapon briefly, the thin twigs could provide a good means of whacking the enemy. Holding this branch was doable, but it lacked the feel of his weapon of choice but this would have to do as he did not have much to work with here.

He looked all around waiting, but the creature had not returned and the boy was beginning to think he had drove it away. The only sound which could reach his ears was his own heavy breathing and this interfered with his perception as he was trying to filter out any forest sounds. Now would have been the best time to run it seemed, but he was unsure about turning his back on the enemy's last known location. Even if he did attempt to flee, it was most likely the creature would reach him as it already greatly out sped him. The idea of running was soon decided to be very hasty as there was movement in the direction where the chimera had escaped to. Lucas was able to ready himself properly this time, holding the branch in preparation for a counter attack. But it never came from the direction where he anticipated.

To his right, a dark blur emerged and zoomed straight at his center. He barely managed to swing the branch in time to swat it away. It hissed at him and retreated in the bushes. Before he even saw its entire body leave, up above and behind him hidden in the trees, _another_ enemy attempted the same attack but this time Lucas could see what it was doing. Its body was completely straight, like a wooden stake that spun fiercely mimicking a drill that aimed for his heart. He ducked out of instinct but it had managed to graze his left shoulder. As it recovered from the attack, Lucas let loose his own retaliation but only the fist hit had made contact. His timing and rhythm was off and the hits that followed only swiped the ground and once again, the creature managed to escape. So this was their strategy, hit and run, what a _cowardly _way to fight. He feared he was surrounded, how many more were hidden in the shadows, he did not know. Based on how quickly they were getting around him, it could have been easily two or three, or _six_. He did not stand a chance against that number, at least not in his current state.

The Slitherhens had an advantage over him when it came to speed, location and numbers, he was out matched. He began growing angry. Frustrated at the fact that he continued to fail to strike them. He was just wasting his hits, throwing away energy at an enemy that would not stick around to take the blow. It reminded him of that pointless whack-a-mole game he was forced to participate in when storming the Empire Pork Building. Just when he knew he had gotten a greater number of hits on the moles and had won fair and square, he was not allowed to proceed. In that situation, it was not about winning, but about sticking around to play _His _game. What did he have then that he lacked now?

Lucas's head pounded even harder to the point he could not withstand it any longer. His anger fueled this fire in his mind. The only way to ease this, was by standing still to calm himself. Then it came to him. _Patience. _The way the Slitherhens were attacking was not just cowardly, but _clever_. If they wanted to take him down, then why did they not attack him all at once? _That's because they don't want to hit me as hard as they can, they are conserving their strength and trying to weaken me as much as they can so it's easier to take me out!_ He was playing a patience game with them, and they were winning. This headache had prevented him from understanding this from the beginning.

And he realized this too late. A Slitherhen had sprung out and began coiling around his legs, tighter and tighter until he fell forward and slammed his face on the cold ground. His vision under his eyelids was bombarded by flashing lights as his head collided with a hard surface. His arms flew forward and his hold was broken, releasing the small limp feathered body and he saw as it rolled away a few feet before coming to a stop.

"N-no!"

Lucas rolled over on his back and saw a Slitherhen wrapping its body around his legs. He grabbed it by the neck and grasped its body tightly with his other hand, attempting to stop its continuous spasms as it moved its scaly body in twisted forms. As Lucas held on to it, he noticed something different in the moonlight. Something he had not noticed before. This Slitherhen had a _red_ body. . . How did it change—?

He didn't have time to understand and he saw from the bushes in front of him, _another_ chimera spring out, this one with the same coloration as the first one, because it _was _the same one from before, Lucas recognized those murderous red eyes. Just before it struck his face, the blond whipped the branch in an arc in front of himself, causing a disturbance around him as it cut through the air, making a high whooshing sound. The creature was smacked away and he heard as it hit the ground several times, raising dirt as its body rolled from the momentum.

Across from the PK kid, the bird was beginning to wake and stood from its unconscious state, its eyes glazed with weariness. Oblivious to what was occurring, it stood frozen when it realized where it was and what was happening. Its beak hung open as it saw the boy wrestling with the strangest serpent it had ever seen and stood motionless as it slowly coiled around the boy's legs. From the looks of it, he was losing the battle. The bird heard movement behind itself but it was too petrified to turn around. It heard a _hiss_ and felt as a tall shadow loomed over it.

Lucas was too occupied with the red Slitherhen that had been pecking at his legs tearing chunks of skin, to notice the bird had awakened. He had already been weakened from before and now it was slowly draining his strength more and more. Even so, he performed his best to contain the strength of the creature, its long body consisting mostly of heavy muscle. That's when he heard it, a cry for help, a cry that sounded like it was about to have its life ended, right then and there.

"PIIDDGEYYYY!" It shrieked, tears of terror were gushing out of its eyes.

Lucas paused, stunned and saw it, the _third S_litherhen. Despair hit him as he saw the creature approach the helpless bird.

"NOOO!" He reached out with his hand and attempted to summon any amount of PSI energy he had left. Only a few small sparks shot from his finger tips and instantly dissipated. Nothing more. He felt it again, the agonizing pain in his head that came from trying to summon a large quantity of energy from empty reserves. He shut his eyes, knowing the pain would cease just soon after but once it did, it was going to be too late. Just like the bird, he was helpless and was about to fall to one of the most pathetic enemies he had ever known. He waited for the finishing blow that would befall the bird.

But it never came.

When he finally opened his eyes, he saw as it moved _away _from the bird, slithering around it. It did not even acknowledge there was potential prey. Had it not seen it? But then the realization was imminent, it was not after the bird, it was after _him._ It quickly reached Lucas's position, beginning to constrict itself around his upper body and neck.

One cutting off the circulation to his legs while another squeezed the air out of his lungs. He resisted, but no matter how hard he pulled at the coils around his neck, the grip only continued to compress. The third and final chimera had recovered and slithered to the fallen boy placing itself over his chest preparing for the enjoyment of pecking his _eyes out. . ._

"Quick. . . Fly. . . _Fly awa_—" The boy managed to squeak through his compressed wind pipe. If he was not going to carry on, his hope would be for the bird to at least get away. In this moment, maybe his_ last_ moment, all he wanted was for no one to suffer as he had. . .

"Prrridge?" _Fly? That move is too advanced for me! I can't_—_ I can't do it. . ! _The bird glanced up to the boy. The boy that had helped it, that had _saved_ it from terrible end at sea even though he was not its Trainer, then how he had _healed _it and since then, only had the intention of helping. Even if it failed, it had to try. The bird would put itself at risk to return the generosity of this boy who was risking his own life to help it, just a tiny bird. It had never known any human to be this selfless. . .

Lucas's vision was beginning to fail him, his racing heart demanded more oxygen but his lungs were unable to provide. Now he could only distinguish the sounds of his own gagging and the Slitherhen who was hissing in _pleasure _and _amusement._

The tiny bird could no longer allow this! It's eyes flared up with determination and it opened its wings as it sprang at the steepest angle; straight up.

With his tunnel vision, Lucas saw as the bird had fled, knowing that it had saved itself. The Slitherhen over him seemed to follow his gaze, not giving a second thought. Its prey was pinned and this was the only thing it cared about.

It had never flapped its wings so rapidly, ascending meters in a split second. It did not know what it was attempting to do, just that it resulted in it flying into the opponent for its strongest tackle. When its height finally exceeded far beyond the trees, it performed a back flip in the air before tucking its wings tightly against its body, while pinpointing the direction it had flown from, then let itself plummet straight down, allowing gravity the honor of doing its task of pulling it to the ground. But the bird's heart sank as it realized it had performed the wrong maneuver for the move it had wanted to use, but it was too late to change the plan. Wind pushed against its body, pressure that it had never been exposed to, was being cut through with its pointed beak, creating a stream of sharp air that moved around its body, leaving a trail of water condensation in the night sky. Then the bird felt as it was enveloped in great energy and suddenly, yellow aura erupted beginning at the tip of its beak, quickly engulfing its entire body.

_I can do this! I'm not just a tiny bird, I am a Brave Bird! _"PRRRIDGEYYYY!"

Just as it reached the pinnacle of the trees, it pulled out of the steep dive, the leaves in the surrounding plants shook violently as if struck by hurricane winds. It was now parallel and low to the ground as it continued to carry the same velocity, until the moment when it struck the first Slitherhen in the center of its head, followed by hitting the one in between and finally the last one which had been coiled around the boy's legs. It had struck them in succession and they had been in the perfect position for the attack to land critical hits. They were launched off the blond and he gasped for air, sitting up and holding his neck.

_What the—_ _What the hell was that? _Lucas thought after his fogged mind had cleared up. He got his answer as the culprit pulled into a loop and landed in front of him, the aura disappearing. Its wings were open as if serving as a shield to protect him. It immediately faltered and collapsed on the ground due to the recoil damage. But it did not allow this to stop it and stood up once again, its body trembling.

Lucas, through his unclear vision, looked to it in amazement. He knew now this was not an _average_ bird, just as he was not an average boy. Whatever it had done to deal such a blow just now had saved him, he was not about to let it come to any more harm by _his _ enemies. Since he had this small window of recovery, he took it by arming himself with his temporary stick that was at his side and forced himself up.

The three chimeras had also recovered and not only hissed in pain, but in anger as well, as their victory had been snatched from them. The one in the middle, who Lucas knew to be the leader of the three, had not accepted defeat and instructed his team on what to do next using a mixture of clucks and hisses. The blond only took this as bad news and stood beside the fatigued bird. Facing this alone was not going to work, he could already feel the familiar cold sweat that would begin at times when he was about to pass out. He knew he was not going to last long so he had to end this now. Lucas made brief eye contact with the tiny bird, giving it a worried but hopeful smile and in return, the bird looked up at him endearingly. Although he could not communicate with it, he knew what this gaze meant. The gaze that signified a partnership that carried on until the very end of battle. They broke eye contact and faced their opponents with determination and a subtle hint of confidence.

The Slitherhen team had suffered a crippling and unexpected blow and it reflected in their once agile movement. They all seemed to move more hastily and become reckless, heading straight into danger instead of strategic maneuvering. The boy and the bird used this to their advantage. Once they got close enough, the bird kicked up a cloud of sand to the enemy's line of view and were forced to shut their red eyes, backing away with their accuracy reduced, and lost their sense of direction. Lucas jumped in, stick wound over his shoulder and swung it using an underhand motion to scoop them up as if he was using a net, making the chimeras airborne. Lucas intended to swing it once again but something unexpected happened.

"Prr, ku kuu ku kuuu!" The pigeon-like bird had risen in the air and began flapping its wings wildly in front of itself creating large blades of wind. The blades began weaving into each other while growing in size and by the end of it, the bird seemed as if it had created a whirlwind, but its size quickly multiplied to that of a small twister the size of a narrow tree, just hovering in mid air. Lucas was quick to move out of the way and saw as the chimeras were swept by the vortex, spinning faster than a propeller. He used the branch to cover his face from the gusts of wind that surrounded the area.

With the last amount of energy it had, the bird gave the final flaps of its wings and the whirlwind followed the current, sending the mini twister over the trees, taking the creatures along with it. Lucas could not tell how far this would carry them and he did not plan on staying here to find out. His first reaction was to get out of there.

The bird stopped while still in the air and began falling backwards. Lucas ran and caught it as it did so. After that display, he knew it was bound to overexert itself and had to be there to prevent it from falling to the ground. Lucas looked down, feeling its fluttering heart, two weak eyes twinkled back at him before they closed in exhaustion. He did not allow any more time to be wasted and limped briskly ahead on the path.

Though he was cut, bruised and beaten, he had finally arrived; Kokori Hot-Spring. The dense mist reached his open sores and he hissed at the stinging. He lost his balance, tripping on his own feet and fell to his knees that hit the moist grass. He moaned in pain and attempted to stand, but he was just too weak and felt as if he was about to faint at any second. Though it was inches away, he could not bring the bird or himself to the hot-spring. He called out for help to the only other that could have heard him.

"Mrs. . . Mrs. Kokko!" He gasped through his heavy breathing and chafed neck, hoping for the chance she was here. "H—help. . ! I . . . need your . . . help. . ." His auditory sense had become muffled, his vision blurry. The last thing he knew he heard was the flapping of wings and the sight of a dark white blur descend from the trees. Then all went black and silent as the boy teetered to one side and collapsed, motionless on the ground.


	10. The Spring of Healing

Hey there everyone! Just a few quick notes before the chapter begins.

Hopefully I've written things in a way that doesn't make it confusing so you know who is saying what. But just to clarify, let me explain this now:

This text represents normal narration.

A normal sentence with a word in Italics like _this,_ means it is to be read with more _emphasis _on that word. The use of PK abilities will be in italics too, usually because they are emphasized.

_This text means it is thoughts, usually Lucas's but if they belong to someone else it will be written._

(These are words spoken by an animal. Just pretend that Lucas translated the animal's cries because I won't always write their dialogue.)

_(These are thoughts from an animal and sometimes a person. The parentheses mean they have been interpreted by Lucas.)_

_If there are multiple people with thoughts to express, then they will be followed by brackets [ . . .] then braces {. . .} and so on. _This can be in italics or normal font, it will depend.

"_Words in Italics that are also in quotes means they are telepathic words spoken aloud."_

A word or phrase in all CAPS means they are being shouted and have more emphasis than words in _italics_. If they are in _CAPS and _italics then they are even _more _emphasized. You get the idea.

I don't know if there are general rules for this type of thing so this is what I'm going with. If there is, hopefully I didn't deviate too much and make it confusing but then again English is already confusing so. . .yeah. . .

One more thing. Hope you guys like the new cover art I drew! That other image was just a place holder until I came up with a better design. I don't know if I will change this one anytime soon. I might if I come up with something that tops this. With all that said, let's continue!

* * *

Chapter 10: The Spring of Healing

Kokori Hot-Spring was a place where many would come to relieve themselves of tiredness or just to enjoy one of the many wonders that resided in the Nowhere Islands. Though it could be described as a hidden refuge, not many wandered here as much as in the past. At this hour, it was less likely _anyone _was crazy enough or in dire need to come here. Under the canopy, a snow white hen had awakened to unknown cries, just when she thought she would finally be able to sleep early to awake well rested. She was agitated that someone dared to call out this late, but this was soon about to change.

(Who in the Nowhere Islands could be shouting at this hour? When I find out who it is, I'm going to —) "Cluck bok bok, bocaaak!" (Oh my goodness!) She called out when she saw the young boy from earlier, lying in the cold soil beside a small pigeon-like bird. She was perplexed at the condition they were in.

(Lucky. . . Lucky! Oh my, oh my, what do I do, what do I do?) She paced back and forth, clucking in worry. (Oh I got it!) She ran back to her nest rummaging in the dark searching for a large leaf, like the ones she had used to wrap the fresh eggs earlier, and brought it with her to the pool of hot water. The hen dipped it as if using a ladle and scooped a decent amount of the healing liquid. She carried it to the boy, drops splashed out of the sides every time she took a step, and finally poured it on his face. (Please work, please work!)

Lucas clenched his eyes tighter as he stirred but did not wake. (Oh it's working!) The hen clucked relieved that the boy was showing vital signs as she went to fetch some more water from the spring. With the second time, the boy began to cough but still did not get up. (Third time's the charm right?) She clucked to herself and brought the last amount of water the teen needed and just like she had hoped for, he gasped and sat up, beginning to cough more violently but at least his eyes were now open. He wiped the water away from his vision even though those small amounts provided temporary relief to the injuries on his face.

"Cluck, bok bok." (Oh thank goodness that worked. How are you feeling dear?) She said with worry as she looked over him noticing how beaten up he was. His clothes were filthy, stained with either dirt or, something _else _that was iron red. It was too dark to tell_. _His hair was out of place, and a similar color to the yellow on his shirt, only dirtier. (Oh my, what happened to you?)

Lucas was finally beginning to feel the cold air around him, even considering it was a few degrees warmer in this area because of the vapor. He shivered and wrapped his arms around himself, his teeth beginning to chatter. "Y-y-you were right M-M-Mrs. Kokko. . ."

"Bok, bok." She said with calm. (Right about what dear?)

Lucas could not understand her but he finished his sentence anyway. "The S-s-slitherhens!" He hissed with hatred. "They ambushed u-us. . ." The last statement was but a mutter and the chicken noticed as Lucas began to fall back so she stepped in.

(Oh no you don't! Come on Lucky, you have to stay awake.) She pushed against his back but he was too heavy for her. She plopped down from his weight then squeezed herself out from under him, and walked back to the spring in a hurry, carrying the leaf in her beak.

She splashed him with water one last time and he quickly sat upright, rubbing at his eyes. He looked around himself and wiped his forehead. This time he tried to stand, his legs shook from lost strength and he could hear his pulse in his neck while feeling light headed. "I have to g-get to the hot-spring." He said with one eye closed, no longer being able to endure the pain. With difficulty, he carried the bird with him. _Just five seconds. That's all we need._

"Bok, bok bok." (Just take it easy dear, there's no rush.)

"Sorry Mrs. Kokko but I can't understand you."

(What are you talking about? You understood me fine this morning.)

"Just give me a second, or five."

Lucas walked straight into the hot pool of water. Compared to the outside, it felt like walking into a boiling cauldron and it took his body a moment to adjust. When only his head poked out of the water—he had carried the bird high enough for its head to be the same—he closed his open eye and began to count:

_1\. . ._

_The water had incredible healing properties that even the vapor it emitted was soothing as he breathed it in, clearing the irritants from within his body._

_2\. . ._

_The exterior injuries had stung when they were first exposed to the water but now, he felt the pain quickly fading away. _

_3\. . ._

_There was something familiar within his mind that was beginning to emerge —_ _no not emerge but rejuvenate, he no longer felt the pounding in his head._

_4\. . ._

_He held his breath and dipped his entire head in the water and let the last second pass. He wished he did not have to leave this state of comfort but unfortunately, he could not hold his breath forever._

_5\. . !_

The blond pulled his head from out of the water and took a generous gulp of air. The little bird had done the same and it showed when it opened its eyes to look around in confusion. It knew of nothing else that could have provided this type of wide awakening and healing except—

(I think you should take your time, five seconds hardly does anything.)

"No, it does _everything._" The psychic said while opening his eyes, revealing for a second to Mrs. Kokko the phosphorescent glow that signaled the return of his PSI.

(Oh you can understand me now? What is in that water anyway? That has always been a mystery to me.)

"I don't know but maybe magic does exist, but I wouldn't know in what ways." He said as he stepped out soaking wet. They both shivered on their way out, the bird seeming more annoyed about being given a bath without it knowing. But it had trust in the boy, he knew what he was doing as it felt much better than before. But it still jumped out of the boy's arms and ruffled its feathers to dry itself.

(Quite unfortunate you didn't bring a towel along. You'll freeze if you walk around all wet like that. Sorry I don't have something to offer you.)

"That's okay, I don't need anything." Lucas said as he wrung out his shirt, wrinkles could be seen after stretching out the fibers. He shook his messy hair, his cowlick loosing its shape somewhat as it drooped down and back. He tried ignoring this for the moment as there was no helping it now and he had bigger things to worry about. "Okay, that should be good enough. Alright, stand still little bird, we'll be dry in no time."

The pigeon tilted its head in confusion, just realizing that this human boy was talking with it and the other fluffy white bird as if he clearly understood them. But it did what was asked. It shook even more violently, being this wet made the chill air feel even colder than it was suppose to be.

The young psychic extended his arms outward and easily focused a little energy around himself and the feathered creature, like a bubble of compressed air, using his PSI to heat the area around both of them. The pressure grew dense and warm and the moisture felt as it was pulled away from their exteriors, leaving Lucas's clothes and the bird's feathers as if they had been air-dried. When he finished, he let go of the energy and it gave a light burst as if the pressure bubble popped, leaving Lucas's hair puffed out and the bird seem like a fluff ball of feathers.

_I gotta remember to thank Kumatora for teaching me that one. _He thought. "Hmm, I guess I made the air a little too hot." He said after reaching up and feeling the result in his hair. _Kumatora always gets it just right. _The pigeon stood with its wings out as it could not fold them properly. Its face and features were covered by its feathers and only its beak poked out. Based on how the bird looked, he knew his outcome was not much different and laughed in spite of himself, preferring not to know how his hair turned out. He could only imagine how he looked to them. Lucas tried covering his mouth to avoid laughing out too loud.

After a minute of watching the bird waddling around, trying to regain its balance, it finally shook itself violently to settle down the feathers. This moment made Lucas forget about the seriousness of the situation and was feeling much better, that is until Mrs. Kokko asked her question once again.

(It's good to see you're both okay, but what happened to you two?)

Lucas's smile faded as he patted down his hair. He wanted to avoid answering. Just when he finally gathered the courage to explain what they had gone through just to make it here, he noticed the tiny bird beginning to close its eyes and doze off, immediately sensing a strong emotion from it.

_. . .Food. . ._

"Oh sorry Mrs. Kokko, but I think its best that we go."

(What? Why do you have to leave so soon? You should really take a breather before you head back.)

He gestured to the pigeon. "Well, he feels hungry so I better get back to feed —"

(Wait, you're hungry little dear? Why didn't you say so! I have just the perfect thing for you, wait right here, I'll be right back.) She said as she strut back to her nest.

Lucas sighed and shifted his view to the tired little thing who looked back at him with newfound curiosity. (_How does he know I'm hungry and how did he do that with the warm air?) _The bird began having his own opinions about this boy and thought back to when he had healed it the first time. (_This human boy is different, is this why THEY need him?)_

Lucas caught this. _They, who was THEY—? _ He wanted to ask but that would prove that he had read its thoughts and it was possible that it would feel uncomfortable knowing this. He had already probed its mind and doing it again felt wrong. He only picked up its emotion because it was strong and had accidentally heard that second part. Lucas turned away to see if Mrs. Kokko was on her way back, pretending that he did not know much else. There was a time to ask, and it wasn't now.

Both waited in silence for the return of the hen who emerged just as Lucas knelt over to rest his legs. He was healed but he still felt tired. Mrs. Kokko came back with another large leaf and by the looks of it, it was weighed down. She set it in front of the brown feathered creature and the leaf unfurled to reveal an assortment of fresh seeds and oats. It stared at pile and looked to Mrs. Kokko with gratitude although it still felt hesitant.

"Prrriii?" (For me?)

(Of course dear! Eat as much as you like, I have plenty!)

It didn't need to be told twice. It dug in, pecking at the pile with out choosing what to eat first.

(Oh you poor thing, you must be starving!)

"Thanks Mrs. Kokko, but you didn't have to —"

(Nonsense! I never let anyone go hungry as long as I can help it, just ask any of my children, 'course they're all grown up now. Sorry I don't have any more eggs for you son.)

"N—no, it's fine. That's not what I came here for."

(So what brought you here? Weren't you going to explain what happened?)

The chill air seemed to penetrate even deeper and Lucas sat down and wrapped his arms around his legs, setting his chin on his knees. "We just wanted to use the Hot-Spring, I never thought we would run into trouble. Let alone —" He looked to the ground, worry overcame his expression as he realized all the implications that went along with this knowledge. It was no longer a 'Maybe' situation but a 'How severe' one. "I. . . I didn't want to believe you Mrs. Kokko, I really hoped you were wrong. But there are Chimeras out there and some Slitherhens_ did _attack us. And there was something different about them. It was a lot worse than ones from the past because they were a lot stronger and _smarter_. One was even a different color and I know those never existed. I don't know what this could mean."

Mrs. Kokko noticed how the shy boy took this news and she grew frustrated. (Those foul creatures! When I get my talons on them, they're gonna have a real beatin'.) The hen said as she patted at the ground with her feet. Lucas had not noticed before but she had two long and pointed spurs on her shanks. It now seemed the description she gave him about fighting off one of those abominations earlier was not as exaggerated as he first thought. She could easily let her kicks fly and tear them apart. He felt a little afraid after the idea, knowing that he never wanted to make her angry. As kind as she was, she could easily be just as wicked. (Wait did you say Slitherhens with an _s,_ as in more than one?)

"Y-yes it was a group of three actually. We had a hard time fighting them off."

(I can easily take one out or at least chase it away, but three of them at once sounds like a bit more trouble.)

"These didn't attack all at once like ones I've fought in the past. They take turns, and try to confuse or distract you." He hesitated, "I feel they could be a real threat the longer they stick around."

(Where did you say it happened?)

He did not think before replying, "They are too close now because it happened just outside of here —"

"Bokkaahhck! (Here! They are this close! Oh this is terrible! Will I have to move away?)

Lucas jumped at her screech. "N-no no, don't worry Mrs. Kokko, as long as you stay near the spring, they won't bother you. For some reason, they don't like this type of climate and like to stay away from hot-springs. There's something about these places that disturbs them and they prefer to avoid it. No Chimeras will bother you here I'm sure." To reassure her of this he added, "Remember when you lived close to that laboratory with all of those Chimeras around? They never attacked you as long as you were near the spring."

She gave a sigh of relief. (Oh I suppose you're right about that. I would hate to leave because I really like it here. But if it comes to it, then I have no choice.)

"Just don't let your guard down and don't worry, I told Kumatora about it, the village has been notified and we have a plan." _A plan that we might have to reconsider though. _The blond thought to himself. Although he told her not to worry about it, he could not say the same thing for himself.

(Let's just hope the situation isn't grave dear. Whatever your team is going to do, I trust. Just remember to stay positive. . . Lucas.) She pulled her beak into a smile.

He returned that expression with a genuine smile of his own, though it did not last long. He did have some faith return to him as he thought about the past, having dealt with tougher situations. As long as he had his friends, they would get through it together. He felt foolish, thinking he needed to take on everything on his own. He wasn't ready for that. . . yet, knowing he could not rely on them forever. But someday—

"Priidgey!" The little bird chirped happily and began preening its feathers.

(Looks like you're all done!)

"That's good, I think we should get going now, it's really late." Lucas suggested.

Mrs. Kokko wrapped the leftovers, there was quite a bit remaining. (Here you can take it for the road.) She handed it to Lucas.

"Thank you Mrs. Kokko, for everything. You really saved us." Lucas bowed his head. "And I'm sorry for waking you."

(All of us have to do our part in stopping those Chimeras son, mine was just a tiny part. And don't fret over that other thing, you two needed help and it just so happened that I could provide it.)

"Let's go little bird, it's getting colder out here by the minute." He motioned for it to jump to his arms. It hesitated, not believing it was permitted to do so. Lucas nodded, affirming it was okay. The bird's eyes twinkled endearingly again and it fluttered to him.

He knew he could not thank Mrs. Kokko enough for her modesty so he said goodnight and waved goodbye, turning to the exit wishing he could be home already in his bed.

Speaking of which, that's exactly what the hen did. _(Whew, what a day. Let's just hope there is no more excitement today, I can only handle so much of it.)_ She thought as she slipped into the trees to her nest.

The young boy and the little bird left the canopy and became stiff like and icicle. By comparison it was significantly a lot warmer in there than out here, plus the temperature dropped much more than they had last remembered. Because Lucas wanted to take his mind off the cold, he thought it good to talk to his new brown companion. "So uh. . . little bird do you have a name? Or something you like to be c-c-called?"

"Pidgey!" it called out again. It seemed to Lucas it would repeat this or a variation of it as its main form of dialog.

Lucas did not quite understand so he slightly scraped at its surface thoughts as if wiping away dust off a counter, so it could not sense that he had probed, and found clarity. "Oh so your _species _is 'Pidgey' right?"

The bird purred an affirmative.

"But what do they call _you _where you come from?"

"Pidgey!" It said again.

"They call all of you guys 'Pidgey'? Doesn't that get confusing?"

_(Yes, very confusing)_

"Hmm would you prefer for me to call you something else, like a nickname maybe?" Lucas asked. He felt that it did not like the idea, believing only its Trainer had such a privilege, someone Lucas was not.

"Oh sorry, I didn't know only your um, _Trainer_ could do that." After this reply, the psychic teen felt the Pidgey willfully open its thoughts to him as if opening a door, or in the bird's case, a window on the ceiling of its mind allowing him to fall in. In it, he caught glimpses of others of its kind gathered in a small aviary-like place located in a big city, a place he knew did not exist anywhere on these islands. All of these birds were given the task of sending messages all around and Lucas sensed that this specific Pidgey felt it had to deliver the most important one. Finally he caught an image of the person who trained them all. After this, Lucas pulled away from this aspect of the little mind and was addressed by the bird while still in there.

_(How is it that you know what I am saying and thinking? You are a human, and you are not suppose to be able to talk to us directly. Not even Trainers with the highest bond with their Pokémon can understand us, let alone talk with us.)_

Lucas, caught off guard, blinked several times and was astounded that its communication was this sophisticated in its mind. He couldn't even get Boney to think in full on sentences most of the time, even while in his mind. Even while speaking with Mrs. Kokko, he had to roughly interpret her speech. "Oh um, I can because I'm using my telepathy to understand you."

_(You are a Psychic-type human? Well that would explain the healing and that other stuff. Strange, I thought all humans were only Normal type and in rare cases —_ _so I've heard from other Pidgies — Fighting type. I've never met a Psychic-type human before and that I can talk to!)_ Lucas was intrigued that it even knew what a psychic was, most animals he talked to never questioned it. Though he did not know what it meant when it mentioned 'Types', but he felt excitement from it now and that it fully accepted him as someone to trust.

_Well in that case, I should shift this conversation to full on telepathy if you don't mind, I don't think I should talk to you aloud right now, especially now that we know what's out here._

_(No I don't mind.) _It thought to him. _(Why couldn't you understand me before?)_

_Well I used too much of my power so —_

_(Oh you mean you ran out of PP?)_

_What? Um, yeah actually. _He replied._ [How does he know what PP is?] _Lucas thought in the back of his head where it would not interfere with their conversation.

_(Yeah I hate when that happens. You feel so tired as if you didn't sleep all night and suddenly you feel really hungry but food doesn't help, unless they're Leppa berries.)_

Lucas raised an eyebrow at the reply. That was a very accurate description of how one feels. Though he had never heard of the berries it mentioned and suspected they were a food where it was from. Shifting the conversation Lucas said, _I want to thank you for helping me earlier against the chimeras with the um. . . flying maneuver and twister thing you did, that was amazing, I never thought a small bird could do something like that. _

_(You thought that was a-a-amazing?) _Even in its own mind, the tiny bird seemed to stutter in disbelief as if it had never received a compliment of that sincerity. The Pidgey was liking this boy more by the minute.

_Yeah! The way you tackled them like that looked really powerful and cool at the same time, looks like it hurt you a lot but not as much as it hurt them. _He snickered. _I guess they never suspected you would be much of a threat, honestly I wouldn't have either. _He admitted through a slip of his thoughts so he quickly asked about something else. _Where did you learn to do something like that anyway?_

_(I don't know but I think I have always known. When you told me to use Fly, I tried but instead, I think I did a move called Brave Bird which Pidgies don't learn as we grow. Actually, I think it's uncommon for my kind to know. The other move wasn't Twister, it was Whirlwind, which my Trainer taught me when he used something called TM04. The moves I used are all Flying based except Whirlwind which is a Normal move.)_

Now it seemed like it was off on a tangent because Lucas had no clue what it was talking about and he did not recall asking it to perform any move, but he let it share its thoughts with him. By the looks of it, it had a lot to say and since this was its first time speaking with a human, who knows how long this conversation would go on for. Other times he would have found it annoying but for now, it was giving him something else to think about besides the freezing weather.

_And your trainer, what's he like?_

The little bird seemed to melt with admiration. _(Oh he's the greatest, he cares for all of the Pidgies at the aviary. Always giving us fresh berries and food. Of course we have to work hard in our delivery service so we don't spend much time together anymore like when we use to. But he loves all bird Pokémon that come around, even the wild ones. He's the one who raised me since I hatched from an egg that was given to him by a young Trainer, always said I was special with good IVs, whatever that means so that's why I was given the task of delivering the Lett—_ _) _It grew stiff, petrified when it realized it had done something terribly wrong. Lucas felt the jolt of shock right before the outburst.

"Pidge. . ." It peeped in terror. _(Th —_ _THE LETTER! I lost it, I lost the letter!) _It shrieked in its mind.

_Wait Pidgey —_ Lucas interrupted.

_(I dropped it in the ocean! I'll never get it back! It's lost forever!)_

_Pidgey —_

_(I have failed! I have failed the most important delivery in my — )_

_PIDGEY! _Lucas exclaimed, almost to the point where his mental voice broke the barriers of the mind. It looked up to him with a hopeless expression. _It's okay, you didn't drop the letter. When I caught you, you were still holding that metal tube tightly._

Its hyperventilating seemed to ease but when it spoke, it still sounded shaken. _(If you caught me with it, then where is it?)_

_It's fine, I left it. . . um. . . I put it. . . uhhh. . . _Lucas could not recall what he did after he had saved the tiny bird. So the feathered creature began to panic again.

_No I'm sure I saw it. Let's see, when I found you, I set you down on the grass but I had a hard time seeing if you were okay because Boney kept getting in the way so then I took you —_ _Oh I got it! It's on the roof of my house!_

_(You —_ _you're sure?)_

_Positive. _He expressed with certainty.

The Pidgey finally relaxed and its feathers settled down. _(G-good. I can't imagine what kind of trouble I'd be in if I'd lost it.)_

Lucas found the opportunity to ask, _So where are you going for your delivery and why is it so important anyway?_

_(You mean you didn't see it when you found it?)_

_No, what do you mean by that? All I did was remove it form your leg. At the time, I was more worried about you. A stupid letter isn't more important than your life! Besides, I shouldn't open other people's mail._

_(But it's not for anybody else, it's for —_ _)_

_Shhh! _He interrupted. _Did you hear that? _Lucas stopped himself and cut the mental conversation. He stared at the ground, trying his best to focus his auditory sense, being sure he had heard something out of the ordinary.

_(Hear what?) _The Pidgey mentally whispered. Both were still, listening intensively. They caught the sound of the wisping wind before they heard it. It was distant but it was distinct. Someone had screamed.

Lucas broke into a sprint towards the cry, not realizing that he was even able to run now. He charged through the path without caring if he crashed into anything. The sudden movement startled the bird and it jumped out of his arms and instead flew into the air, following him over his head. Lucas was sure what that scream meant, and _this _time he was fully healed with his PSI completely restored. He had to hurry, or it could have already been too late. . .

* * *

Last note:

I know I haven't asked this yet but review if you would like. I'd appreciate any comments, critique or feedback from you guys.

Next chapter is already half done so I'll see you then. ;)


	11. The Return

I will never EVER allow Lucas to go insane with power, not as long as I'm writing for him. That's just not his character. But he will have his moments.

Of course his spouts of anger come with learning to control all of that power so. . . yeah.

* * *

Chapter 11: The Return

Off into an undiscovered clearing of Sunshine Forest, was a boy who had been fleeing from creatures that could only exist in nightmares. He did not know how he could have wound up here so quickly. It was only a few minutes ago that he had been on his way back into the forest, in search of his friend who he knew could become easily overwhelmed by the darkness, especially when alone. On his way back, he borrowed a torch from the Prayer Sanctuary, promising to its walls that he would return it soon.

But now, he was surrounded. Even so, he continued to stand his ground. He held the lit torch in front of himself with both hands, using it as his only form of defense. With this measure in place, it was not enough to confront the threat and he had already been struck several times by the three snake-like creatures and knew it was only a matter of time before they took him down.

Fuel was panting heavily, having been slammed in the chest only aggravated his breathing. His vision was hindered as a cut above his eyebrow had streamed blood down into his left eye, blinding him. He had tried to wipe it away but it had caused a streak, failing to eliminate it from his field of view and only making it worse. There was another deep gash he had taken from the enemy that resided below his right knee and due to this he was trembling, not wanting to see how much blood he was loosing. He felt numb, as the cold overcame his body's temperature.

The three Slitherhens dragged their long bodies along the ground, waiting for the perfect opening to strike. Like before with the kid in the striped shirt, they hissed in amusement at the helplessness of this different boy as he had been much easier to take on. Slowly they grew closer and closer to Fuel, the circle they had created around him was becoming more and more narrow. Finally, the largest of the Chimeras sprang at him from behind, landing a heavy blow on his back and across his head. He doubled over as the Red Slitherhen launched itself into his stomach, knocking the wind out of him. Then they slithered away and repeated the process of moving around him. They were having too much fun to end it now and continued to _toy_ with him.

The leader of the team approached quickly and the brunet made an effort to hit it using the flaming torch, swiping it in front of himself once the creature got close enough. But he missed, only leaving himself wide open. The Chimera was smarter than it seemed and wrapped its tail around the boy's wrist, pulling him down, making him drop his only weapon. The torch landed in the dirt, the flame died down and fizzled out. Now Fuel was trapped in the darkness, his eyes unable to adjust to the sudden absence of light and transition to the moonlight quickly enough. But he continued to stand regardless. This is what the Chimeras wanted, for him to get up so they could have the pleasure of knocking him back down again.

Fuel got up on his knees, realizing he did not stand a chance against these things and looked for any means of escape, but the Chimeras prevented that. They had already cornered him to an area of the forest where no one passed through and he did not know which way to run. Besides, he could not move without being noticed so he only stood still, trying to at least catch his breath so he could make another call for help. Hopefully there was a slim chance that someone was out there and that this did not result in him getting struck in the chest again, like the last time he had cried for help. The lead Chimera hissed again as if preparing another attack, but it was having trouble deciding what was the best way to strike him. When it finally made up it's mind, it moved into position, instructing its Chimera brethren to follow its lead. It slithered backward in preparation for a jump. A jump to the face of the boy where he could peck at him. This sounded quite fun to it.

It gave a sadistic _grin, _its red eyes flashing for a fraction of a second and began quickly zig-zagging to gain speed, then finally launched itself. Fuel saw as it traveled in the air to him and could only anticipate the blow, so he immediately used his forearm to shield his face, shut his eyes tightly while gritting his teeth and waited. . .

and waited. . .

and waited some more.

Something should have happened by now, Fuel thought. He gathered the courage to open his eyes to figure out why the Slitherhen had not struck him yet, he was sure he saw it jump at him.

The plain-shirted boy looked and saw that indeed the Chimera had jumped to him, but now it was still somehow, and _suspended_ in the air as if time had stopped for it. It had its mouth open as if it was in mid screech but no sound came out from its gaping beak. For a second, he thought he was experiencing some sort of state of shock, making him perceive things as if they were frozen in time. But then he noticed something else in the darkness in the woods ahead of him. Two glowing cyan colored lights hung in the air. They paused then reappeared as if they had _blinked!_ Then it came to him. They were not lights, they were _eyes!_ And they looked really _pissed off._ Below the eyes was a bright yellow spark, fluctuating in the dark and casting a subtle source of light to the otherwise pitch black environment. Fuel's sight was adjusting and he caught the figure of a person around his own height, standing there.

The person swiped their arm to their left, the spark of light and the creature followed that movement. It was flung to the rigid bark of the trees, slamming against one and falling down. The glow that the Chimera was enveloped in faded away, as the unseen force that manipulated it disappeared. Fuel had only watched in horror as the creature had been effortlessly tossed aside like a worthless piece of trash without it even _being touched._ He looked back to the two phosphorescent cyan lights and was astounded to find out who had performed something so phenomenal.

Lucas appeared out of the shadows, ready to fight against the snake abominations. He shifted his intimidating stare to the Red Chimera that was still to Fuel's left. It looked to him with astonishment and disbelief of his actions, refusing to accept that this boy had not only returned, but came back without a scratch on him, as if their previous assault meant _nothing _to him. Is this—is this what _fear _felt like?

Lucas didn't waste time and charged to the enemy who he sensed to be the most vulnerable, the motionless red snake who stood dumbfounded. Before it could react, the agile teen drew near and leapt several feet into the air, performing a front flip then coming down on the Chimera with four furious and quick stomps. Each one created a sound like breaking solid rock and all made contact with the target, something within its scaly body could be heard shattering. There had been a level of invisible force that the teen applied to his kicks which caused the earth around him to erupt, creating a shower of dirt to fly out, leaving the Red Slitherhen in a shallow pit, twitching in pain. Then it stopped moving.

The psychic stood up, stepped out of the ditch and turned to face the largest of the Chimeras. The big Slitherhen looked in shock to its fallen comrades and slithered away from the boy, assuring it had distance and time to come up with a counter attack. Though it was at a disadvantage when it came to numbers, it still had speed on its side. This Slitherhen still remained confident, as it was stronger than the other members of its team and it knew if it wanted, it could land some seriously damaging attacks.

Lucas had an easier time following its movement as he had adapted to their strategy and being fully healed helped him in that aspect. No ailment was about to interfere _this_ time. He wasn't going to attack first, it would just evade the blow, so he waited. He had an idea what the Chimera intended to do, not even needing his sixth sense to know. The blond positioned himself in front of the fallen boy to protect him, while he continued to spectate the fight. If anything, it seemed to Fuel like it was beginning to be more like a one-sided battle.

The large Slitherhen rushed to him, gaining speed with its side-to-side movement. It sprang up, shaping itself in a circle to spin like a steam roller believing it had the strength to knock this seemingly weak child down to plow over him, as it had done with the brown-haired boy. Lucas just stood there and prepared to take the attack head-on, with full force.

_Predictable_, he thought as he placed his arms in front of himself. He did not feel the need to set up a shield or even use _Defense Up_. These Chimeras obviously had no idea who they were dealing with. The Slitherhen came down on the boy, spinning violently against his forearms, creating smoke from the friction. But the teen just stood there and took the continuous blow. Eventually, Lucas pushed it back by extending his arms outward, opening them at his sides. The creature could not believe it. That was its _strongest_ attack and the boy didn't budge. He hadn't even _flinched! _It grew wise and backed away slowly, knowing it needed the help of its comrades.

"Now Pidgey! _Quick, Peck _at it!" Lucas yelled. The little bird in the distance escaped the shrouding trees and dived to the large Slitherhen, beginning a series of Quick Attacks and Pecks, flying all around it. The Slitherhen could not compete with its speed and failed to strike back. The Pidgey did not land every attack it threw at it, but instead distracted it as much as possible.

This gave Lucas the chance to pick up the burnt out torch and turn around. "Fuel, what are you still _doing_ out here!" He yelled, his voice infused with anger, scolding him with his intensely glowing eyes. Fuel looked back at him meekly, beginning to perceive him as a whole different person. This was _not_ the Lucas he knew.

"I-I-I thought I'd come back for y-y-you!" Fuel said very shaken up.

"I told you I was _fine!"_ He roared, his voice fueled by hatred towards the Slitherhens. Fuel was taken aback. Lucas quickly felt a sting of _fear_ rise up in the other boy, and not because of the Chimeras. He very rarely sparked terror in others and he hated when he accidentally would. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, attempting to calm himself. It's just that, knowing the creatures that had attacked him just minutes prior had already targeted an innocent bystander—because he didn't take responsibility and deal with it properly—made him furious. _Especially _against someone who was already _prone _to bad experiences in the forest.

"Sorry about this Fuel, but you should've stayed home." Lucas said with a calmer but serious tone. He looked down at the torch, gathering energy. He couldn't call upon PK Fire, but he had his own way of lighting a flame. He pulled out two fingers and ignited their tips with white-hot PSI energy while Fuel only looked on in awe. He focused the heat on the torch until it was set ablaze, the surrounding environment grew with warmth and light. He handed it back to Fuel. "Here, hold this." Lucas instructed and turned around to continue the fight.

He saw as the Pidgey retreated back to the trees, and took notice of the large Slitherhen growing weak, which slithered into the darkness close by where he had tossed the first of the creatures. Wait a minute, the Leader Chimera was _gone! _"Grrrr, where did it go?" Lucas growled.

"W-where did _what_ go?" Fuel's voice shuttered as he looked around, not knowing what he was searching for.

"The _first _Chimera! The one that hit the trees!" _Pidgey, do you see anything from up there? _The psychic telepathed.

_(No! Sorry, but I can't see anything else besides you guys. There are too many trees!)_

"_We can't let it escape! If it gets away, it will attack others!" _Lucas made his mental words echo so the Pidgey and Fuel could hear him with both their minds and ears.

Lucas continued to search high and low. He would have tried sensing the consciousness of the creature using PSI if he wasn't so full of adrenaline. That required focus and no way was he able to do it now. Besides, mentally touching such a mind, filled with malice was very disturbing and Lucas did not want to come into contact with something _putrid _such as that, its mind could be _contaminated_ with sinister thoughts and who knows what else. Kumatora had once warned him about that. If the mind was not prepared for it, then it could temporarily corrupt the user. It was best to steer clear of the enemy's mind.

Fuel was finally able to stand and held the torch above his head, granting more light above them. Lucas turned to Fuel to spot signs of the enemy, as he had not glanced in that direction yet.

"I-I think, I think it got away Lucas. Maybe it saw what you did to the others and it got scared."

"No, I doubt it. That thing is too stubborn to give up." _But maybe he's right, it could have ran away like the coward that it is. Or maybe, that's what it wants us to thi—_

In that instant, the Lead Chimera launched itself out of the large shrubs towards Fuel. Its body was stretched straight out and spun like a drill towards the other boy's back. "Fuel, _move!"_

He was too slow to react and in a flash of white and green, the creature stabbed the boy in the shoulder, drilling its way deep into his back. "AAAAHHHHH!" As soon as it thought it dealt enough damage, the Slitherhen jumped back and retreated into the trees. Fuel fell forward, weeping in agony.

"N-no! _FUEL!"_ Lucas reached the brown-haired boy and knelt beside him looking with horror to the new injury on him. It was bad, but it wasn't life threatening, he had his thick sweater which had provided a layer of protection, to thank for that. Lucas couldn't heal him properly yet, but he could provide some assistance so Fuel wouldn't pass out from the pain. _"Refresh." _Lucas spoke, lavender colored healing energy flowed onto the injured boy's back, providing him with temporary relief.

He hissed in pain. "I'm o-okay. . ." He whimpered.

But this was _not_ okay for Lucas. He stood and propped Fuel to sit up so blood wouldn't continue to flow down. Surprisingly, Fuel was still holding the torch in his right hand, the side where he had received the blow. The enraged psychic balled his hands into fists. This. . . This had been _enough!_ He could not allow this to continue. Fury had made its way into his gentle heart, and he felt it again, the desire to cause _pain. _This fight had gone too far and was now _personal_. He didn't just want it to end, he wanted to satisfy his _revenge_, and he knew _exactly _who he was going to take it out on. "That _thing_. . . That thing is going to _pay. . ._"

He turned around after assuring Fuel wouldn't fall over. Without thinking, he allowed his ultimate psychokinetic energy to gather in the palms of his hands. It began by making a high pitched whirring sound that only got louder as it charged. His hands began to spark uncontrollably and trickle down the excess amounts of energy; tiny fluctuating hexagons even began to appear. His hands itched, his body begging for the release of the power.

"_P. . . K. . !"_

Wait, what was he _doing? _Had he completely lost his _mind? _He couldn't expel the energy here! Not with Fuel right behind him, he was obviously within the _blast radius!_ Not to mention there were trees all around him. He had hardly any control of what the attack would consume and could start Sunshine Forest Fire number _Two! _Lucas could easily eliminate the Chimera this way, but that would also mean striking his friend and putting dozens in danger.

Holding the energy for this long without release began to burn his hands. As hard and _painful_ as it was, he had to with hold the energy he had collected. His own body could take on the power of _PK Love_, but at a cost. The sparks in his hands slowly diminished in intensity until the last speck of light fizzled out of existence. After reabsorbing the PSI, he realized that the amount he had gathered was more than he wanted, going beyond the level of _α _and as a result, the surge of power began affecting his body, leaving him surrounded with crackling energy, and an electrical current sparked around him. He staggered and clenched his chest, his heart cramping up, feeling like it was pounding way too hard. A level of pressure consumed his head. He couldn't continue to hold it in, he needed to release it somehow.

_But how? I can't use PK Love here, it's too dangerous and I don't have another attack I can use to_—

Wait he _did_ have another option! Hadn't he just fully unlocked—and the sudden realization hit him.

_Lucas realized the power of **PK Thunder** **α** !_

As if by instinct, Lucas positioned his arms in a way he could harness the power of electrokinesis, by placing them both across his chest while pointing with two fingers of each hand outward, to restrain the power. He stood for a moment, putting all of his focus in converting the PSI into an elemental form. After, he allowed some energy to seep out so it would not become too dense. When he felt it was at a manageable level, he pointed his right hand to the sky and fired it off, no way was he able to absorb _that_ again. The large yellow and blue infused bolt, zapped straight into the clouds above, creating a thunderous boom, bombarding everything around him with a blinding flash, and made bats fly out of the trees. It made the torch Fuel was holding seem like a lit match by comparison. Releasing the PK energy this way was _way _less dangerous compared to _PK Love. _If he held it any longer, he did not know what would happen. _Maybe when Kumatora said I'd explode if I held the power in for too long wasn't all a joke, though 'exploding' sounds like an understatement. _

Fuel had witnessed the _whole _thing and he was speechless.

_(What_—_what _was _that? Are you both okay?) _Pidgey yelled in its mind.

Lucas put his arm down and exhaled a cloud of mist as the blast had also allowed him to fire off some of his anger. _It's okay, that was me. . ._

_(What_—_How_—_?)_

"Lucas, _watch out!"_ Fuel shouted as he threw the flaming torch towards the blond's head.

He had impressive reaction speed and swerved to the side to avoid the projectile just as it came within a centimeter of his head. Lucas looked to the direction where the torch was launched, and saw as it whacked against the enemy, the Large Chimera hissing with anger and pain when the fire made contact. Then it slithered away to await orders from its leader.

It found the other of its kind just to the left of the boy in the sweater, hidden in the bushes. The Lead Slitherhen continued to decide plans for the attack. But the larger Chimera began to question it. It suggested they retreat, this boy was obviously adapting fast to their tactics, plus he had strange abilities they were not prepared for. The Lead Chimera slammed its tail against its subordinate, how _dare_ it question its leadership. They were going to finish off these runts or _die trying. _The Large Chimera was not sure about this anymore and looked off in the direction where the Red Slitherhen had fallen. If they did not leave now, then they would end up in the same state. _Dead._

Meanwhile, the two boys spoke with each other.

"Nice shot!" Lucas complimented. "Too bad the light went out."

"I may be down, but I'm not out! And with that lightning, who needs a torch anyway?" Fuel tried his best to talk as if he was not injured.

"It's good to hear you're okay but you should leave the rest to me." He said. Now that he had plenty of energy ready for use, he needed to expel it in this fight. But he had one problem, _PK Thunder _had terrible _accuracy!_ He was sure he wouldn't land a single blow with it. It was more likely to hit the foliage around and ignite everything. So he resisted the urge to use it now, and needed to wait for the right time to call upon its use.

The Large Chimera, as instructed by its leader, slithered out from the shrubs below to Lucas's left. All it needed to do was provide another distraction so its Chimera comrade could finish off the injured boy. It did not anticipate that the blond boy had already predicted their antics. Lucas closed off the distance by nimbly leaping diagonally forward to his left with unpredictable speed, catching the Large Chimera by surprise. He let loose a kick, then a hook kick followed by a round kick, a technique recently learned from a friend. Though he lacked proficientcy with it, it was still enough for it to be functional. The final kick sent the Large snake-like creature slamming into a shrub with prickly leaves. It layed motionless, feigning defeat. It felt it could still endure more of this kid's attacks, but waited patiently for its leader to successfully execute its attack.

The Lead Chimera finally showed itself when it jumped from the trees onto the weaker boy. Lucas, still recovering from the recoil of his attack, caught the flutter of movement from the corner of his eye, and was already headed in that direction.

"_Not this time. . ." _He spoke. Fuel swore he heard him say these words without him moving his mouth. While it was in mid-air, Lucas grabbed the enemy by the base of the neck, where the feathers met the scales. Its blood thirsty red eyes could no longer compete with Lucas's ice-blue ones. They were slowly beginning to shift to that yellow glow again, like when he had first used _PK Thunder._ He had to improvise with this new ability but what could he do? Maybe if he used his power in _moderation_, gather the quantity of the _α _level then release it in short bursts, like he had done when he demonstrated his power to Steve. Why had he not thought of this before? Psychic power in the form of electrokinesis ignited in his hands, and he used it to pummel the enemy, charging its body up with the deadly electricity. It was sturdier than Lucas expected, and it wiggled free, landing with a thud on the ground. It had still resisted that attack? Time to kick it up a notch.

This is where Lucas charged an electric fist, and sent it down towards the Chimera on the ground. The blast illuminated the whole area with bright blue light. It shrieked in agony with its horrid vocal sounds. Lucas let loose another electric punch, then another, each blast stronger and brighter than the previous one. With the last punch, he had sent it away. Finally, he gathered the remaining energy by pointing to his temples, one hand on each side to focus the PSI then brought both hands together, sending a stream of electricity to the abomination, and giving its body one last blast of power. A large electrical sphere engulfed the Chimera before it burst, the electricity sparked in all directions and harmlessly dissipated into the air. The current created a burnt spot in the ground, black ash could be seen. He had been reckless with his final attack, because if he had missed—

The Slitherhen stopped moving, it was almost unrecognizable. Fuel waited a long moment before exhailing a breath of relief, it was finally over.

But Lucas was not finished yet. He telekinetically picked up its limp body and began to slam it around.

"You are _not_—_" _He allowed it to rise up and slammed it back on the ground.

"—hurting _Fuel_—_" _It was launched at a boulder, cracking its surface.

"—or anyone _else_—" It was sent to a trunk of a tree, splintering its side. Leaves fell out from the branches above.

"—ever _AGAIN!"_ He raised it above his head, ready to launch it far off until—

"Whoa Lucas, chill dude. It's already um. . . _dead." _Fuel looked to the young psychic with a mixture of mystification and worry, not believing everything Lucas had just done. He had never witnessed his powers before, just heard rumors about them. These rumors never gave an accurate description and he never expected it to be as spectacular and terrifying as he saw.

Lucas was fuming, prepared to toss the creature away, but Fuel was right. So he stopped. He turned away from it as he set it down in the ditch where the Red Chimera had fallen, releasing his telekinetic grip on it. His hands were still enveloped in static, and clear smoke radiated from them. He once again took deep breaths to calm himself, his breath vaporizing around him.

The large and injured Chimera still hidden in the bushes had seen it all. It turned around to flee, still wanting to see the light of another day.

Lucas had tears of anger in the corners of his eyes. As he rubbed his hands against his face to wipe them away, he felt them sting and saw how raw they were. They shook from his fading rage and were burned due to him engulfing them in electricity.

_(Are. . . Are you okay?)_ The Pidgey had flown down and hovered by the two boys.

Lucas was unsure how to respond to that question. He found himself lying. "Yeah, I'm okay." he muttered before quickly making his way to the brunet. "But Fuel isn't."

"Yep, you're right, I could be better. . . Heh. . . Heh. . . OW!" He said as he sat up straighter.

"Quit moving. I can heal you, but you gotta stay still. Pidgey, can you bring the torch?"

_(Right away!) _It found the stick of sturdy wood by the base of an evergreen, and brought it to him. He took it without looking and set it ablaze once again using his technique. Fuel only stared every single time Lucas used PSI.

"Can you hold the torch Fuel while I do the healing?" He asked as he walked behind him to get a better look at the injury on his back.

"As long as my arms aren't broken, sure." He replied nervously.

"This is not a joking matter Fuel, I'm not kidding here."

"Neither am I." It was typical of Fuel to want to mess around in this kind of situation. Even though he was seriously hurt, providing signs that he was alright, gave light to things.

"Shut up, and hold still."

"Damn, when did you get so aggressive?" He said without thinking. In context, maybe that was not the proper thing to say right now.

Lucas frowned. "I have my moments. Stop stalling, do you want me to heal you or not?" The psychic could sense a feeling of uncertainty rise within him, he wasn't sure about this.

Fuel gulped. "I guess. . . Will. . . _Will it hurt?"_ His voice quivered.

"Hm? Oh. No. . . It'll just itch like crazy, especially 'cause you're not use to it. Just let me know when you're ready."

Fuel exhaled loudly. "Okay, go for it." He shut his eyes tight and held his breath, expecting there to be pain.

Lucas examined the affected area first. The injury was deep, but it was nothing he couldn't fix. The blood had stopped, good thing he had administered a _Refresh_ when he did, otherwise there would have been a lot more damage and he would be dealing with an unconscious friend. He placed a glowing palm over the large injury and focused. _"Life-up β!" _New flesh in the boy's back began to appear and weaved back into the proper tissue, ligaments and muscles were mending back together. Fuel felt it all, but there was no pain, just a very odd sensation he did not know how to describe, and that gave him goosebumps. As Lucas worked on the healing, he found he was able to talk with his patient.

"Fuel, thanks for coming back for me when you didn't have to. I wasn't really myself back there and I'm sorry I yelled at you earlier for it."

"What use was it. I thought I could help but instead, I was the one who needed saving."

"You didn't know about it. But . . . But I did. It's my fault this happened. I was told about this earlier today, and if I wasn't so _weak_, I would have remembered to warn you about it and stop them when they attacked me, before they got to you."

"You, _weak? _Hate to break it to you Lucas but what you did right now was _not weak._ The way you almost created a lightning storm and tossed those things around without touching them and that awesome front flip and those electric punches—that was not weak, that was _incredible!_ I had no idea those were the type of _magic powers_ you had!"

"Ehh. . . Hmm. . ."

"The rest of us simpletons are the ones who should be called weak compared to you. And how is this any of _your fault?_ It's not like you had anything to do with those snake-things attacking us."

Lucas stayed silent as he continued to emit healing energy. Fuel. . . Fuel was right, but he was too modest to see that. "Why does everyone keep calling it _magic _anyway. It's _not _magic."

"Then what else could it be? If it looks like magic, sounds like magic and uh. . . _feels _like magic, then it's magic. I don't know how else to describe it."

"It's not magic, it's _psychokinesis."_

"Sy ko kin—_What?_ Okay, now you're just making up words."

"No I'm not, it's an actual term. Psychokinetics are abilities of the mind, you know, powerful brain waves and stuff like that. Magic on the other hand, I wouldn't know what that would be classified as and I doubt it's even real."

"If sy ko—whatever exists, isn't it possible that magic does too?"

"Why are we even talking about this? I'm still busy healing you."

"Uh huh, you're just saying that so you can avoid the question because I might be _right!"_

"Shut up and let me finish or I might _accidentally _let bones grow out where skin should be with my 'magic powers'." He said with a joking tone.

"Ha ha very funny, I didn't know you could be so hilarious." Fuel said sarcastically. "I liked you better when you were angry."

"That could be arranged. Go ahead, punch me, see what happens." Fuel only laughed at the reply.

Lucas finished up the healing on Fuel's back in silence. What was left was a large hole in his sweater and shirt, no traces of the injury could be seen. "There, all done. What else is there to patch up?"

Fuel was amazed that the pain was gone, but it was now replaced by a horrid itchy feeling. He ignored it and said, "I just have a few scratches and bruises, that's all." He pointed to the cut above his eye. "Oh and this." He lifted up his shorts to reveal his knee, which still had a deep horizontal gash.

"Ouch. That one looks like it really hurt, but it's not too bad." Lucas knelt over and muttered, _"Life-up α." _He used his finger tip to slowly trail the spark over the injury, like closing a zipper.

"See, you even mutter a _spell _like you're using magic!"

"Yeah you're right, but I don't _have _to say anything in order for it to work. I just do it 'cause it helps me focus. Which you are _not _letting me do."

"Oh, sorry."

_(That's amazing! I didn't know you could use Recover like that on others!)_ The Pidgey expressed with amazement.

"Huh? Oh yeah, it came with the psychic powers." Lucas said aloud.

"What?" Fuel questioned.

"Oh, I was talking with the bird. His name is Pidgey."

"You can talk with _animals too? _Like I said, magic—"

"Finish that sentence and I'll show you what my 'magic' can _really _do."

"Man, you're no fun." He paused and looked to the little bird who came up beside him. "Pidgey, huh? Hey little guy! He does look like a pigeon doesn't he?"

"Prrridge!" It chirped to him.

"What did he say?"

"Here, I'll let you listen for yourself." And Lucas, serving as the main link, combined their thoughts together. For a brief moment, Fuel felt something subtlety brush against his mind, not in an invasive way at all, just enough for him to feel like there was something _else_ in his thoughts.

_(I said, hello! Nice to meet ya!)_

(Oh wow, he _can_ talk! That's so cool! Wait, am I saying what I'm _thinking?_ Aww man, this is so awesome! _Echo, echo, echo. . . Krrch_. . . This is Captain Fuel, the mission is complete and I'm reporting back to base. Over. . . _Krrch_. . . Commander Lucas, do you copy?)

Lucas couldn't help but chuckle, looks like Fuel was having too much fun with this. _Alright, alright that's enough. _And he broke the link but not before sensing a feeling of nostalgia from Fuel. This reminded him of times when they were younger, and would mess around like all young boys would. The emotion rubbed off on Lucas as well.

"Aww, I was starting to really like that."

"Sorry, but I need to focus a little longer." The blond said. As he was finishing up, Fuel caught sight of Lucas's hands and how burned they were. They were covered in soot and were not looking too good.

"Oh, dude. . . Are your hands alright?"

Lucas did not want to remember. "Y-yeah they're fine, I'll heal them when I finish with you."

"Man, all of your powers are so cool, you get hurt and then you just shrug it off. Makes me wish I could have powers too."

"They're not always that great. Believe me." He said with a dead serious tone. _Sometimes I wish I never had them. _He thought to himself while also thinking if Kumatora heard him admit to this, she would _definitely_ send a bolt of fire at him, for denying who he was.

"What's not to like? You can heal and read _minds _and cause explosions of lightning, and—"

"Fuel, _please._ Just be quiet okay?" He sensed Fuel envelop in curiosity and only found a reason to explain himself, that way he had no more misconceptions. "You also have to learn how to _control_ them and deal with the discomfort that new abilities bring. You can't live a day in your life without the constant _restraint_ you have to have on them, knowing that with one _slip up, _you can cause a _disaster._ There are the _voices _ from others you can't seem to quiet down and a lot of other things. Don't get me wrong, they can do _amazing_ _things_ but you also have to live with the fact that they can be _dangerous _at times."

Then Fuel said something wise, something that would continue to stick with Lucas for a long time.

"But at the end of the day, don't they bring more positives than negatives?"

Lucas looked up to face him directly with his focused expression, his eyes still alit. This seemed to scare Fuel a bit.

"I—I mean, you can really do a lot of good with them, more than bad. Just look at me, I would be in serious trouble right now if you didn't have your powers to heal me and I don't think I would have made it in time to see Tessie." He said, referring to Tazmily's nurse. "And I think with time, you can learn to control them a lot better. And with time comes mastery, that's what my dad always says. You're still new to this right? And you're already pretty good at controlling them. I'm sure with time, you'll get the hang of it as long as you don't give up. I know you never will, 'cause you're persistent, just like Clau — "

Lucas felt a sting at the mention of the name. Fuel stayed quiet after that. But Lucas also sensed a feeling of sincerity. Fuel. . . Fuel really meant that. . . Lucas was proud to know, he had gained an attribute from his older twin brother. . . And that made him smile.

"There, all done." He sighed.

"Whoa! I know I keep saying this but, that's so cool. Heh, thanks Lucas." Fuel smiled.

"Sure, no prob." Lucas said as he examined his own hands. He flexed them by making them into fists a few times, while thinking of what healing level he should use. He felt his forearms also sting, remembering how he took the first attack. The boy finally settled and muttered, _"Life-up α." _He focused a spark in his hands and passed it over his injuries. As he was recuperating, he thought he was a little too careless with this and could have easily raised his defense but at the time, he did not care about taking the blow.

"Come on, we should both go home." He said when he finished.

"Lead the way, heh heh."

Lucas raised an eyebrow. "Fine, but stay close, we don't know what else is out here. And make sure you hold the torch high enough."

"Will do." And he got _very _close to Lucas. They began trailing between obstacles and creating a new path in the uncharted terrain, the Pidgey hovering right above them.

"Hmm, is that _fear_ I sense in you? I thought you said you weren't scared of _anything."_

"Y-yeah well, I changed my mind. Wait, you know what I'm _feeling?_ That's no fair."

"I can't help it, really. I tend to only sense _intense_ emotions and right now, you are full of it. That and you're nervous and standing too close to me which adds to the intensity. Besides, it's also written all over your face and you don't have to be psychic to see that."

"Pff, whatever. I'm not scared, most of the time and besides, I don't have powers so I can't really be as _confident _as you right now." He never thought he would ever describe Lucas as such.

"Even without powers, you're still brave Fuel. You had the _nerve _to come back in the middle of the night by yourself just to check on me. In your position, I don't think I would have gone on my own."

"Nah. You wouldn't. . . heh." _You wouldn't have the courage to sneak back out again like I did._

Lucas frowned at him for the first response but then raised an eyebrow when he overheard that last thought and revealed a sly smile, knowing he got Fuel this time. Fuel may not have been scared of most things, but there was someone he would panic over. "I'm surprised your _dad_ even let you come back out here for me."

Fuel grew tense and paused for a moment. "Uh yeaahhhh, about that—"

The blond boy turned around. "What?" He questioned, as if he did not already know the truth.

"Uh, ha ha it's funny you mentioned that because I uh. . . I never _actually _got home." He said nervously.

"Wait, why?" Lucas walked onward. He effortlessly hopped on, then over a large fallen log that lay in the middle of the trail while Fuel had to place one leg over it while using one hand for support so he could heave his other leg over.

Fuel continued to follow close behind. "Well I was going home at first but then as I almost got there, my dad barged out of the house. He seemed upset about something and I'm sure he found out that I wasn't home. I guess I just panicked and I didn't want him to see me then. So I ran back out here. Maybe if he saw I came back with you, he would think I wasn't alone and wouldn't be so mad."

"No, I think you were better off staying there." _I'm sure no one in town wants to see my face right now, even Lighter._

"Yeah I know, especially after what just happened. But Lucas when I get home, you gotta make sure you don't tell my dad that we were out here."

"What? No Fuel, we have to let him know about this threat. We _cannot _hold this information, it's for everyone else's safety."

"But—"

"_No Fuel, _I don't have to be a mind reader to know what you're thinking, and it's not a good idea. You are going to get in trouble for sure, but not as much trouble as the town's going to be in if they don't know. We are _witnesses_ and if most don't want to believe me, I know they will believe you and your dad."

"Why wouldn't they want to believe you?"

"Please, I already have a reputation of weird and bad things happening around me, and even then they never took my word for it, plus I know what everyone else _thinks_ of me."

"Oh, that they hate your guts?"

"See? Even you know."

"I only know 'cause that's what mostly everyone talks about when they mention you and I happen to overhear them. I mean, _I _don't believe anything they say."

"Good, there's already tons of misconceptions about me and my friends and what we've done. The people of town don't know a _thing_ about what goes around on the sidelines and I don't expect them to. My dad said it better than I can this morning, that they are simple people, and all of this is too complicated for them to get involved. The most they can do is protect the village so the first thing _you _should do, is tell your dad the truth."

Fuel gulped. _But what if we just waited until morning to tell him? _He thought, a little _too _loud. Lucas turned around again to face him, and that look was enough for Fuel to cower back and do as he was told. It had just occurred to him that if he wanted, Lucas could _read his mind._

"It's best to tell him about this now, if you wait until morning, it'll only be worse for both of us _and everyone else._" He said bluntly.

Man, Fuel never thought the word _scary _would be a proper adjective to describe Lucas. In times prior, it would have been the _past tense_ form of the word to _represent _Lucas's emotional state. He couldn't imagine what Lucas must have endured in the past three years and what he must have gone through on his journey to have changed so much. Even so, this serious, intimidating and rigid side of Lucas, was _still _Lucas.

"I'm sorry if I seem um. . . _scary_ Fuel. I didn't mean for it to look that way. It's just, this situation is _serious, _and we have to take action immediately. If we don't, things could get _a lot worse._"

Fuel exhaled heavily. "Okay. You're right. I guess my job right now is to face my dad. It's better to deal with this as soon as possible right? 'Cause then he might get _even madder_ if I tell him later."

"_Exactly. _My job is to inspect everything, this can be done much faster with everyone's input so we gotta let them know. Then I have to deal with anything that can pose a threat."

"Oh man, I'm glad I don't have _your_ job. Uhhh I mean, uh. . . I didn't mean it in a _bad_ way."

"It's fine, I get it. I wish I didn't have my job either but someone's gotta do it. It's best if the kid with a bad reputation and psychic powers does it right? That way no one else has to get hurt."

"Man, how do we get into these situations?"

" 'We?' You mean _mostly me?_ I don't know. Sometimes I feel like I'm the one _looking_ for trouble. But I guess it's 'cause I have experience with this type of thing and I know I can deal with it as long as I have help. If others get involved that _can't_ handle it and are hurt as a result, I feel like it's my fault. I'm capable, so my responsibility is to help this town and its people, no matter if they like me or not."

"Wow, I'm stupid for not seeing that and I'm sure I can speak for everyone else in my position. For what it's worth, thanks Lucas."

"Hm? For what?"

"What do you mean 'for what?' For _everything_ genius! You were the one in the background keeping us safe the entire time from all of those freaky animals, the Army, and _King P. _Well as much as you could anyway. And no one has bothered to thank you for it. If people get hurt anyway, then it's _their _fault not yours. You did what you had to do so don't take responsibility for others' mistakes."

Lucas paused and looked down. He pondered Fuel's words for a bit. Not everything was _their _fault but Lucas could see the other boy's attempt at justifying that point. All he wanted to do was make the blond feel like the blame was not all his to carry, and what happened as a result was not his fault, and that sometimes, even when every precaution was taken, things did not always go how they were intended. When Fuel caught up to him, he turned to face the brown-haired boy and gave him a small smile, being grateful that even after everything that had happened, Fuel was one of the few that still remained on his side. "Fuel. . . Thanks for sticking around."

"Pfff, why wouldn't I? We're friends right?" He placed a hand on the blond's shoulder.

_He said it not me. _"Right!" Lucas nodded.

"Heh, I thought so." And Fuel gave him a friendly punch where he had placed his hand. Even if it didn't hurt, Lucas still rubbed his hand over that spot. They both continued and walked side-by-side after that. They reached a slope in the path and skid down through the grainy terrain, their shoes kicking up dust and both boys received the surprise of uncomfortable pebbles in their shoes. This did not stop them and they continued as normal. Fuel then broke the silence.

"Soooo. . . _Mind Reading_ huh. . . That must be pretty sweet."

Lucas, growing annoyed at the new invasion, paused a moment and tapped the toes of his shoes to shift the grains of dirt to a less awkward position, then caught up to Fuel. "Like I said, it can get annoying especially when there is a large group of people around. I gotta learn how to control it better. It never use to be a problem but recently, it's been a lot easier overhearing peoples' thoughts and it can get overwhelming at times." Lucas rubbed the side of his head and squint an eye. Though he was not feeling pain in his head at the moment, he felt like mentioning it would trigger the aching feeling again.

Fuel noticed this. "Aww man, that must suck. I guess there's a down side to everything. Well I was thinking, since you can read minds, in a fight, can you like predict someone's _every move?"_

"Technically yes but I don't always hear thoughts as easily, it could be random. Sometimes it takes a lot of focus and it's hard to do that in the middle of a battle. Besides, I don't like invading peoples' minds _on purpose_ and only pick up certain ones because they can be uh. . . _thought_ so loud, if that makes sense and there has to be a strong emotion tied to it too."

"Loud thoughts plus strong emotions hmm. . . I was wondering, could you maybe—"

And Lucas knew where Fuel was going with this, so he rolled his eyes and replied, "I already told you what she told me, that she doesn't like you _that_ way Fuel."

"Aww, come on, that's what she _says_ but what does she _think—__"_

"Angie is not interested Fuel, and I'm not about to go in her mind to find out if she means it, so you better just cut it out. I have to be careful because once I dive into others' thinking, I don't know what I could find. I've already had problems because of _accidentally _overhearing things."

Fuel laid his head back on his free hand as he continued to walk. "What kind of problems?"

That's right, Fuel didn't know about what happened in town earlier. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Come on, you can tell me."

Lucas stopped to face him again with his dead serious expression and said, "I don't have to, you'll find out for yourself soon enough with how everyone talks about it right away. And in the way they put things, I wouldn't be surprised if they made up a bunch of crap, just to make me look worse."

_Damn, Lucas swearing? _Fuel thought while he shuttered, _I guess __he does have his serious moments. Maybe I shouldn't poke the bear with a stick. Actually, in Lucas's case, it would be more like poking an angry Drago, that can _breath fire.

Lucas turned to continue making a trail — only to trip over _yet again_ and fall face first, this time tripping due to misplacing his foot in a shallow hole. "Aww, _come on!_ Can't I go a _day_ without _tripping! _Ow. . ." A tear gathered in his eye.

_Now thiiiis is the Lucas we all know, sensitive and clumsy. _Fuel snickered. "Dude, you okay?" He had a hard time restraining his laugh.

Lucas blew upward to a leaf that stuck to his forehead and saw as it fell to the ground. "Yeah, I'm fine." He said as he began to pick himself up. As he placed his hand down to the dirt, he felt another hole in the ground and looked to it as he stood. "Wait. . . What are these? Fuel, can you pass me the torch?"

Fuel extended the arm that was holding their source of light while Lucas patted his hands together in an attempt at shaking off the dirt before receiving the wooden stick. He used it to point to the ground, casting a dancing orange light, and both boys saw something unusual.

"What is it?" Fuel asked.

Lucas knelt over. "They look like _tracks."_ He said while trailing the torch so they could see a series of similar holes that paved a way in the uncharted terrain through the woods. The blond placed an open palm over one of the holes for a size comparison and they were much larger than his hand. "Do you know of _anything _that makes tracks like these Fuel?"

"Ummm. . . No, not that I know of and I've been in Sunshine Forest a ton of times with my dad, heck I use to _live _out here, and I don't think I've ever seen anything like _this."_

"Yeah, me neither."

_(And look, they seem to go deeper into the woods.) _Pidgey mentioned, Lucas almost forgetting it was still flying above them.

"Yeah, you're right Pidgey." The baffled psychic pointed the torch in the direction the little bird had mentioned. They all saw the tracks make their way into the distant darkness. It seemed like something large had bulldozed it's way through, trampling over bushes and breaking away low hanging branches.

"They kind of look like round hooves, maybe a horse's?" The brunet said as he addressed the tracks again.

When Fuel said this, a sudden cold feeling cut through Lucas, and the most horrifying idea filled his head. He panicked, and took a few steps back and grit his teeth. _A H-Horsantula? _But as quick as the feeling came, it went. These tracks were _similar _to that type of Chimera, but there were many distinguishable features about them that differed, they did not belong to what he thought. For instance, their amount was off. Clusters of four prints were left instead of the eight that a Horsantula would leave behind. Plus, the tracks would have looked like upside down "U's" but these were instead closer to oval shapes and left a heavier imprint. Also, those creatures had only inhabited the eastern part of the islands. His sigh carried relief, luckily it was not what he feared.

"What?" Fuel looked to his fading panicked expression, suspecting the blond knew something he didn't.

"I-I thought I knew what made these, b-but I'm wrong." _I'm so glad I'm wrong. _Lucas continued to stare at them, in deep thought. He was not sure what had left these prints and he considered the possibility they were made by an ordinary forest animal. But it _could also_ be evidence to prove there were _other Chimeras._ He wanted to doubt this idea. Then a phrase that Kumatora had said earlier that day prevented that, as it echoed in his mind, _But if something as stupid as a freakin' chicken head with a snake body survived, what's to say something tougher didn't make it? If that's the case, then we have a bigger problem._

Lucas glanced around and made it a task to remember this location. Maybe he had a place to start his investigation once he got his team informed. "Come on, we should get out of here, the sooner the better." The blond began to take larger strides.

Fuel had stayed quiet up until now knowing his friend needed some time to think, but now found his opportunity to ask, "Wait, why? What is it Lucas? Did you find out what made those? Is it bad?"

Lucas was not sure what to tell him. He did not want to say something that would worry him, but he still needed to remain honest with his friend. "I don't know what could have made those tracks and charged through the forest like that. But whatever it is it _can't be good._ I'm beginning to think that whatever is out here, other than _ordinary _forest animals, is a _lot worse_ than what we just dealt with."

Fuel gulped. But he did not let his worry show, even though Lucas could feel it slowly manifesting within him. Fuel remembered a time when he had to face artificial creatures alongside his father. Even though they had lived in these woods before, they never came across something they couldn't handle. But after some very bad encounters, Lighter hardly permitted his son to go with him deep into the forest as he had to confront those nightmarish animals almost on a daily basis. This left Fuel with a permanent feeling of dread, that was thought to have long been gone, emerge once again almost in anticipation but with the horror of never knowing exactly when they would be attacked. Now that Lucas, saying the possibility of _stronger_ Chimeras inhabiting the forest seemed to be true, with what they just saw back there, seemed to wrack his nerves a little bit more. And now he had _more _of a reason to tell his father what they had experienced, right away.

Lucas felt the slow crawl of dread consume Fuel. He was very good at hiding it because he continued as normal. Lucas for once wanted to be the one to instill a sense of security in his friend, so he said, "Hey, we've dealt with this before. To a degree, the whole town has. No one's getting hurt, not on our watch, right?" Fuel smiled, but did not reply.

The young teens and the little bird began noticing the trees becoming smaller, as if they were descending in size. The moon began to show more of its reflected light and forest creatures could be heard going about their routine as usual. This signaled that they were almost out of the heavier side of the woods and closer to the main path. Unknown to the boys, within the thick trees, far off in the distance were a pair of eyes that had locked on to them, after catching their scent. It watched them walk along, with no escort as if they did not have a care in the world. To eliminate the smell, it snorted through its ring-pierced nostrils, flaring them and having its breath vaporize menacingly into the dark atmosphere of the forest.


	12. Bad News

I don't know why but I feel like Fuel would be good at basketball. Maybe it's his outfit.

Chapter 12: Bad News

It was late. Too late for two kids to be out in the middle of the forest on their own, their fathers would not tolerate it. The boys knew that when they arrived home, they would not be greeted in a positive manner. But their motivation for arriving was the comfort of their warm homes, so they made haste. Not only was it late, but the weather was unbearably cold. The air was so chill, it made it seem like these winds came from Snowcap Mountain instead of their source, Mt. Oriander. One of the boys had left home prepared for the weather, wearing a proper sweater, while the other boy could only try his best to resist the cold, but he could not help his chattering teeth. Just above them, a little brown bird flew high enough for it to see through the tallest points of the forest trees.

_(Hey, I think I see it! Just like you said! It's this way!) _The bird thought excitedly.

"He sss-says we're close." The blond boy said, and began to pick up the pace.

"Oh finally! Heh, heh I thought you said you weren't cold Lucas." The brown-haired boy replied. All he wanted to do was spark another session of friendly teasing, that way they would not have to walk the rest of the way in eerie silence.

Lucas took the bait. "I w-wasn't! I had a fever then and it got colder since I said that. I bet you would be ff-freezing too if you didn't have that sweater on." Lucas said, placing his free hand close to the flame of the torch. He had already begun sniffing and would hate if this resulted in him catching a cold, it was just bad timing.

"No I wouldn't."

"Then, _take it off._"

"That wouldn't be fair, you would still have the fire!"

_(Are you guys always fighting this way?)_

_I wouldn't call it fighting, it's more like 'friendly arguing'. I don't really mean he should take his sweater off. I'm sure he's already in enough trouble as it is, and his dad would be angrier if he got sick too because of this._

_(Oh, okay, I see. Interesting.)_

Through chattering teeth, Lucas smiled. He thought Fuel's bickering, including his own, must have seemed amusing to the little bird. Or it could just be analyzing human interactions, something it had not been exposed to frequently.

Fuel wondered why his friend had not made a clever come back remark yet, this is how the game worked after all. Then he noticed the grin on his friend's face and responded, "Wait, are you talking with him? Now I feel left out."

Lucas allowed the flow of thoughts between the three. _There, happy now?_ He said telepathically, being the first one to speak through the new link.

Since the new connection was established, the Pidgey had the urge to talk with people while it still had this opportunity. It was as curious as ever so instead of remaining silent, it wanted to further its knowledge about these boys, it beat staying quiet. Since Fuel was preoccupied about the encounter with his dad that was unavoidable, the idea resonated within Lucas and the little bird. Pidgey could feel his nerves so it felt the need to ask, _(Is your dad really that scary when he's mad?)_

Fuel took a moment to adjust to the sudden voice in his head, which carried a slight 'chirp' to it, and realize that it was addressing him. _[Oh, uh. . . sometimes. It all depends. Like one time, I ran really far along the train tracks to that old Clayman Factory, and when he found out, he got really mad. He yelled at me a lot too. I wouldn't have done it if I was allowed on the train in the first place! But if you weren't a factory worker, then the tickets were so expensive! But overall, that time wasn't so bad but it still wasn't a pleasant experience by any means. With the look I saw on his face earlier, I feel like he's gonna be really mad at me this time.]_

_(Maybe he'll see past that after he sees you're okay.)_

_[I hope so. . .] _Fuel was looking down and had not yet noticed they had arrived back to the main path.

They had finally reached the large gnarled tree stump and Lucas paused to gaze up to it. Without this beacon, he thought they would have had trouble navigating the forest and get back on track but thanks to Pidgey's help, locating it was not an issue. All three of them were relieved to know that it was a direct path back to town from here on out. The bird took a break by perching on the worn wood, to adjust its feathers, while Lucas and Fuel trailed underneath it. Once it saw that the two boys were ahead, it continued to follow right above them.

The path took a winding turn towards the south, they followed it until they left the dense foliage and came across the Prayer Sanctuary. Since Fuel had borrowed one of the torches that were mounted on the exterior wall, Lucas only thought it proper to return it back to its rightful place. He walked to the left side of the firm structure constructed from gray bricks, stood on his toes, and tried returning the source of light back to its mount, but he was not tall enough. "Nnnhhh. . . I—can't—reach."

Fuel saw him struggle for a moment with an unimpressed expression on his face. "Wow Lucas, really? Here, I'll do it." He said, swiping it out of the blond's hand.

_Hey!_ "You're as tall as I am, you won't reach either."

"Yeah I will. Watch me. I'll put it back the same way I took it down." Fuel said as he walked back. With a running start, he dashed towards the direction of the wall, just before reaching it, he executed an impressive long jump, dunking the torch back into the iron base. It teetered side-to-side a bit before it settled back firmly, almost as if it never went missing. "See, nothin' to it!"

"Pff. Show off." Lucas puffed.

"Me? _A show off?_ Look who's talkin'. I'm not the one that did a front flip in the air by levitating."

"Hmph, that's just how I did my attack, I didn't plan on it." Thinking about it again, that action was unnecessary on his part.

"I guess if you can float like that, go for it. Speaking of which, couldn't you have, like, made the torch float back up there, or just floated yourself?"

The idea would not have occurred to him if Fuel had not mentioned it. "Oh yeah. . ."

"I thought psychics were suppose to be smart. Heh. . ."

Lucas shot him a dirty look. _"__Don't push it."_

The sudden telepathic words sent a chill down Fuel's spine. But he knew they were still playing the banter game, and did not take it as an actual threat.

They moved onward. The moonlight was enough to guide them the rest of the way.

"Oh wait, almost forgot something!" Fuel said and in a hurry, ran back and went inside the sanctuary for a brief moment, then returned with his father's tool belt. "Can't forget why I came out here in the first place."

The two boys soon reached the edge of town. So much of Tazmily had been restructured, many homes and local businesses had shifted in location, this meant that Fuel's home had changed locations as well. He, with his father of course, were two of the few that lived in Sunshine Forest, before the _Event._ The earthquakes and chaos that destroyed much of their beloved town, had also rendered Fuel's house in the forest uninhabitable. Before the _cataclysm _Fuel's house, like Lucas's had been victim to lightning strikes. No matter how many times Lighter had rebuilt the roof of his home, lighting always found a way to strike the place of residence. Over the course of three years, Fuel's house had been destroyed twice, the first case being when it was burned to the ground in the Sunshine Forest fire.

Lighter, as stubborn has he was, finally decided it was time to move away and built his new home closer to town, especially after considering the safety of his son. So they relocated to the very edge of Tazmily. It was the only house to remain both at the edge of the forest and the town. Since Lighter provided fresh lumber to the citizens, he still needed to retain quick access to the trees. The new home he had constructed, rested atop a small hill on the most western section of Tazmily.

Both boys walked along the ascending path. If they were to glance behind themselves, they would have noticed the clear view of all the houses in the center part of the village and beyond that, the ocean. Just ahead of them, stood a two floored log house, a small and cozy cabin. The top room belonging to Fuel. A little off behind the house, were the closest forest trees. Surrounding the property outside, were different building materials made of wood, that were neatly stacked. Most of it consisted of fresh lumber, something that had been in high demand recently. Even if it was not in high demand, Lighter had always kept extra four-by-fours lying around. The interior lights could be seen blazing out of the clean windows, casting their illumination onto the grass outside.

Fuel hurried to the front door but hesitated to open it. He waited for Lucas to catch up.

_(I guess I'll wait out here.) _The Pidgey said and perched on the edge of the roof's tiles. Lucas nodded to it and stood beside his friend. He saw that Fuel had already placed his hand on the door knob, but stood still, refusing to turn it. He took a deep breath before twisting the knob and shoved the door open. Being greeted by the interior warmth caused them to step in with no reluctance. Lucas softly closed the door behind himself.

The house seemed deserted, absent of any activity besides the crackling of the fireplace. Fuel felt he needed to break the silence. "D-dad, I'm—"

"_FUEL!_ Do you have _ANY _idea how late it is! Where have you been! Explain yourself _NOW!_" His father's demanding voice boomed from another part of the house. Both boys jumped at the sudden yelling, which seemed to shake the very room. They heard heavy footsteps and watched as a man descended the stairs that lead to the second floor.

He was taller than most folks from town. He had gray hair that was most notable from his five o'clock shadow. His attire defined his profession as he wore a long sleeve plain white shirt under his winter-style red vest, navy blue denim pants and heavy brown leather boots. Currently, he was not carrying his trademark four-by-four over his shoulder so he did not seem as big as usual. At first, his expression was that of anger towards his disobedient son but after he caught the sight of Fuel with Lucas, and the state of their clothes, his face changed to that of perplexity and worry. The questions had just begun to pour.

"W-what happened to you? Is that _blood _on your clothes Fuel? Are you alright?" Even though he had a level of anger, he had the sudden urge to hug his son, so he did, just out of relief. "You had me so damn worried!" Bending over, Lighter rest on his knee. "And what were you doing with _Lucas?" _Both boys took note on how much emphasis he had used when he spoke the blond's name, almost venomously.

Lighter's focus was on Lucas who stood beside the front door, so he did not notice that his embrace was too tight. "D-dad, I'm not alright 'cause you're squishing _meeee_—" The lumberjack never displayed affectionate behavior towards his son, at least not with others around. He always maintained the "tough guy" attitude in public, though he had a soft side at least when it came to Fuel.

He finally let go and left the brunet gasping for air.

"What happened, where is all this blood from?" Lighter began frisking Fuel's clothes, wanting to find any sign of injury. He was shocked to see the many tears on his clothes, especially the large hole on his back, and the amount of dried blood that was more visible in the light.

"Dad, let me explain—"

"Lucas, you must have had something to do with this!"

"No Dad, you're not _listening_, he didn't—he was the one who helped me—"

"Fuel, I don't want you around Lucas _anymore!_ Do you _hear me? _ As long as you're around him, you'll only end up—"

"_SHUT-UP DAD AND LET ME TALK!"_

Everyone held their breath and there was silence for a minute. During the pause, Lighter had turned to his son in astonishment. Fuel had never been bold enough to be the one to yell at _him. _What Fuel wanted to say must have been urgent.

"I hate it when you don't want to listen to me. You're always yelling when you get mad and you never let me _explain. _So this time, you better _sit down _and _shut-up _so we can _tell _you what happened, it's important!"

This must have been the reason why Fuel was fearing this encounter, Lucas thought. He knew Fuel needed to stand up to his father. Lighter at times was the type of person to overreact, taking matters into his own hands. This meant that he would provide his own perspective of a situation without considering other options and recklessly dive into a predicament. Lucas was unsure how it was to have a parent like this, but this gave him an idea.

The man's face became stern and he stood up, looming over Fuel. The brown-haired boy made the most impossible eye contact with him, his expression reflected frustration. Lucas thought he himself would not have been able to withstand the session of intense staring with someone like the Lumberjack. Neither one broke the stare, until Lighter raised his hand—

—Fuel flinched—

—And set it heavily on his son's shoulder. Surprisingly, Lighter's mouth formed a smile. It almost seemed _proud._

"Good work son!"

Fuel opened his eyes. "H-huh. . ?"

"It takes guts to stand up to your old man, there's no one in town that's ever done it, well except Flint of course. The way I see it, standing up for yourself especially against someone like me, for the sake of your friends, is a step forward to becoming a man!"

"You're not mad because I yelled at you?" Fuel did not expect this to be his father's initial reaction. Knowing his father as well as he did, he predicted the man would loose it when spoken to in such a way. So no one dared to face him, and carrying a wooden beam wherever he went only discouraged them further. He did not take insult or disrespect lightly to say the least. It was possible, he just had more patience with his son.

"Hah, only a little but it's because you're right Fuel, sometimes I don't know when I'm being too brash. It's good to know that you will soon be able to stop me from doing something foolish or reckless in the future."

Fuel's expression relaxed and he released his fists that he had clenched, setting his hands down at his sides.

"Sorry for not allowing you explain your side of things Fuel. Hopefully you will forgive your old man, for the many times I have screwed up." He turned to Lucas. "And I must apologize to you too Lucas. Sorry for accusing you. I guess I jumped to you as the first one to blame, mostly because of your recent actions, with what you did in town today. I hate to be the one to say, that it doesn't help your image, or your father's."

Was Fuel hearing him correctly? Was he apologizing for his mistake? First scary Lucas, then apologetic Lighter? What was going on with people today anyway, Fuel thought. He was too busy thinking this and it took him a minute to process the second part he had heard. "Wait, what happened in town?" He looked back and forth from his father to Lucas, wanting to catch the one who would answer first. "What did you do Lucas?"

Lucas looked away and to the ground shamefully. "I-it was an accident." He said softly.

"Let's not get into that son, now's not the time. What I want to know now is what's so important, where you were and what happened."

Fuel looked down as he removed the tool belt he had been carrying on his shoulder. "I was only out so late because of this." He said as he offered it to his father. "I know how important your tools are to you, and I lost them. I didn't want you to get mad at me again when I told you they were missing. So I went back to find them."

Lighter received his prized tools, and set them aside. "Son, they are not more important than you. They could have waited." He paused then continued, "This is my fault, I make such a big deal about them, I see now what type of impression you must have had. But know, that _nothing _I possess is more important than you and your safety." He said as he bent over to hug his son again, but this time it was not a suffocating one.

As he quietly watched the father and son interaction, Lucas couldn't help but think over the relationship with his own father, but then was interrupted by a little voice that chirped in his mind, _(Hey, there are two men running to this house. One of them is taller than the other and the shorter man is wearing a hat. Do they live here too?)_

He jumped at the sudden voice. _Oh don't worry about them, I think I know who you're talking about. Wait, they are running to the door?_

Lighter had stood up. "Why were you carrying them anyway? Holding my equipment's not your job, it's — "

Lucas jumped out of the way of the entrance just as the door flew open, catching Fuel and Lighter off guard. Two men ran in, out of breath. _"Boss!" _The shorter man wheezed. He wore blue denim overalls accompanied by a white shirt, yellow gloves and boots similar to Lighter's. His hair was a light shade of brown, and over his head, rested a lavender and white striped cap, the stripes running downward from the top. One would wonder how he managed to see through the cap that covered his eyes, which were also obscured by his large rounded nose. Currently, he leaned on his knees trying to catch his breath. "Boss," He said again. "We went to the Bakery like you said," He paused to breathe, "And we caught Caroline just about finished cleaning the shop and she said Fuel left _hours _ago! He could be anywhere now—" And he finally looked up.

The second man wore a simple white shirt, denim pants and similar gloves and shoes to his partner. On his belt, he carried a small ax that was in its sheath. His brown hair was shaven very shorty. Just as his partner cut himself off, he interrupted while pointing to Fuel and said, "Hey look boss, we found him. He was here all along!"

After standing up straight, the first man's fist slammed against the taller man's side, causing a smack to resonate within the cabin. "Bud, you idiot! Don't you think he sees that? We didn't find him, Fuel mus'ta come back on his own."

"Ohhh you're right Lou, didn't think of that. How'd you do it Fuel?"

"What do ya mean, 'how'd he do it', the boy knows where he lives!"

"No I don't mean it like that Lou, I mean how'd he manage to hide so good?"

"I wasn't hiding, I was—"

"_Lost, _I knew it—" Lou said, contradicting himself.

"_Alright you two, _that's enough!" Lighter's voice engulfed the rest of the sounds in the room. "Fuel was just about to explain where he was, but you two won't _shut it!"_

"Sorry boss!" They nervously said, speaking simultaneously.

Lighter sighed, "Well I believe it's good you two came, that way Fuel doesn't have to explain himself over again." Lighter stepped aside to allow Fuel more space, now all eyes were on him. "Go ahead son."

And Fuel, finally with the opportunity to explain his story, looked to Lucas who nodded to him and took a deep breath to begin the telling of his experience. "Well, after we came back from Sunshine Forest, I left for the Bakery to see if Mrs. Caroline and Angie needed help. So I stuck around there for a bit, then I left and came back here. No one was home when I arrived. I looked over some of the lumber we brought back and that's when I remembered I never came back with your tool belt Dad. I knew I must have dropped it on our way back. So I picked up my sweater and decided to go back into the forest where we had been working. It started getting dark pretty fast as I searched, I never thought it would take as long as it did. But I didn't want to give up, I knew I was so close to finding them. I finally found the tools behind an upturned stump. I guess they must have fallen when I jumped over it.

"On my way back, I ran into Lucas, literally. He said he was going to the hot-spring and I asked if he wanted me to go with him. He said he was fine so we both went our own ways. When I almost got here, I saw you Dad as you came out of the house, and you didn't look too happy." Fuel glanced to his father who seemed to reflect on his own behavior.

"That must have been when I sent Lou and Bud to look around one last time, after I had asked around town myself. I decided to stay home in case you returned. If you didn't, and Lou and Bud came back empty handed, I would have gathered a search party and turned Tazmily upside-down until we found you. Why didn't you just come home?"

"I-I was scared to how you would react Dad, when you saw I was alone. I know I'm not suppose to stay out too long, and I was scared you would get mad because I broke curfew. That's why I decided to go back and look for Lucas so we could come back together, I was also worried about him, 'cause he was by himself too. So I went back into the forest, thinking it wasn't going to take very long. But this is where the situation took a wrong turn."

Fuel up until this point seemed fine, but Lucas saw his face grow pale, and sensed the rise of anxiety within him. For Fuel, having to retell the horrors they had faced, something that he believed he would never have to experience again, put him into a temporary post traumatic state. Lucas did not know why, but he felt nauseated after feeling Fuel's nervousness, as if not only sensing Fuel's emotions, but feeling them as if they had grown three-fold. He attempted to close the psychic connection he had made with Fuel earlier, this alleviated him of the other boy's feelings, but only somewhat.

Lighter saw his son's face, and knew immediately what it meant, he recognized that look all too well. _"Chimeras." _His expression became full of hatred to the rediscovered threat.

"Y-yeah."

Lou and Bud only gasped, if they had been sitting they would have been on the edge of their seat. "What'cha do Fuel?" Bud asked with anticipation.

"Did ya beat 'em up? Did ya chase 'em away?" Asked Lou.

Fuel closed his eyes and gave an insignificant shake of the head. "I ran."

They both gasped even louder this time.

"I ran and ran. I tried running back home, but they blocked me and drove me deeper into the woods. Eventually I got lost, I didn't recognize what part of the forest I was in." Fuel paused almost on the brink of tears, Lucas had never seen him in this weakened emotional state.

"They attacked me over and over again, I didn't know what to do. At one point, all I know is that I heard a scream, _my _scream." Helplessness overcame him.

Everyone stayed silent, allowing Fuel time to gather the courage to continue his tale. "They were too strong and _very _smart. They were not your _average Slitherhens _Dad, there was something about them that _felt off_. I thought I could handle them at first, we had run into tons of them before after all, but none of those were like _these. _All I could do was escape, but there was no way. So I screamed again, and they hurt me for it."

"If they hurt you, how's it you're fine now? How'd you get away?" Bud questioned.

"That's because someone did hear me yell for help. Lucas was still out there and came and stopped them."

"WWHHAA—NO WAY!" Both lumbermen exclaimed as if they had rehearsed their reaction.

"I don't believe it, Tazmily's own crybaby? If you couldn't take them on, how'd _he_ do it?" Lou asked, baffled.

The brunet's worried face became invigorated, excited to explain what he witnessed. "You should've seen it, you couldn't even imagine how cool it was. He used his magic—uh I mean, _psychic powers_ to fight them. He defeated them without even breaking a sweat."

When Lighter heard this newfound excitement and high spirits from his son, he raised an eyebrow to Lucas.

"First he picked one of them up, and he threw it, like, twenty feet away. He did this by the way _with his mind_, then he jumped ten feet in the air and landed on another one, driving it into the ground by stomping on it, then he took a super strong attack from the biggest one and didn't even move and inch, when the same attack squished me onto the ground like a pancake, then he—"

"Whoa son, slow down!"

"Long story short, he charged some _lightning _in his hands_, _shot it up to the sky and used it to _kill _the last one."

"L-l-l-_lightning? K-k-kill?" _Both men stuttered.

"So that's where that thunder was from." Lighter pondered to himself, crossing his arms.

"Y-y-you mean the same l-l-lightning that he used to attack Pusher with?" Bud stuttered.

"Yeah that's—wait, _what?"_

"Yeah, didn'cha hear? Lucas tried to fill Mayor Pusher with lightning and almost set his house on fire!" Lou stated. Both men had not taken notice that the boy in mention had been standing behind them the entire time.

Having heard enough of the false accusations that had been spread around town, Lucas yelled, "That's a _lie!" _making himself heard for the first time in a while.

"_YIKES!" _Lou and Bud shouted together, whipping around to the source of the voice. Lou had managed to leap in the air into Bud's arms. How he was able to was a mystery, especially considering his stature and physique. Bud only carried his friend while his legs shook, the psychic being able to sense their level of surprise.

"L-Lucas?! How long have you been standing there?" _I didn't even hear the door open. _Lou considered.

With no intention, the psychic's eyes began to flare up again, the glow almost scintillating out of the corners of his eyes. This caught the attention of all three men and Fuel. Lou and Bud gulped, and Lighter seemed to have an extremely subtle nervous reaction that not even Lucas was able to sense. He directed his scowl to the cowering men and said, "I did _not _try to hurt Pusher or anyone else, nor did I want to set his house on fire. For the last time, burning that tree was an _accident!" _He could not emphasize the truth more without sounding threatening.

"Okay, okay, we believe ya." Lou said meekly while still clinging onto Bud.

"Why wouldn't we believe him? The last thing Lucas would want to do would be hurt someone." Fuel defended. "After all, he's the one who saved me and _healed _me after we were attacked, otherwise I would be seriously hurt right now, or worse. Yeah he might shoot lighting on accident here and there, but that's only because he's still learning to control his powers. I'm sure anyone else would have to deal with that too in his position. So anyone who says he's doing it on purpose are spewing a bunch of _bull_—"

"_Fuel. . ."_

". . . Uh. . . _nonsense _just to make him look bad_. _So I say don't believe them. And anyone who makes stuff up, are gonna have to deal with me too."

No one in the room expected this outburst from Fuel, least of all Lucas. Here he thought he was the only one who became irritated because of the false accusation, but he sensed just the same amount of it in Fuel, if not more. The blond boy felt protected in a sense that he had a friend who would defend him in aspects where he could not defend himself; from the gossip of the town's people. His frustration dissipated and Lucas smiled.

The room remained silent while Bud set Lou back down on his own legs. No one wanted to break the silence.

"Thanks Fuel." Lucas finally said. "You kind of said what I would have wanted to say. I wouldn't have known how to say it though." He looked down.

"You got it Luke!" Fuel gave him a thumbs up. "Someone's gotta speak out."

"Uh, I guess we should say sorry. . ." Lou said as he looked at Bud who was off in his own thoughts, so Lou smacked him again. "_Right_ Bud?"

"Oh uh, right Lou."

They bowed their heads at the same time almost rhythmically. "We're sorry Lucas." They said together.

"We promise that from now on, we won't believe everything that people say about you. And that thing about you being a crybaby, I didn't mean it, it just sorta came out." Lou said as he took a step back and placed his hands in front of himself in his defense, not entirely doubting the possibility that Lucas would pounce on him for saying such things.

Lucas could easily forgive him for that. "That's okay, I still get that a lot."

Lighter had heard enough apologizing at the moment and pressed for information on the situation, having anticipated more to the story. "Are there any more important details that we should know?"

Lucas, being the one who found what were most likely traces of another threat, felt he was the one responsible for telling the three men the bad news. Fuel passed the mental baton, and left the rest of the explanation to him. So with determination, he stepped forward. "As we were on our way back from the site of the attack, Fuel and I found something in the woods, something that may prove a more dangerous _thing_ is out there. _Tracks._ And they did not belong to any creatures that we know of." Bud and Lou began trembling. "We believe it's most likely a Chimera that left those behind, but I'm not sure what kind. The way it damaged the forest, it's big and closer to town than the mountains."

"It's _close?" _Lou emphasized. "And to think we were in the woods this afternoon. . . Bud and I aren't leaving this house at night anymore, that's for sure."

"We aren't?"

"Day or night, it doesn't matter, _all _Chimeras will attack whenever they feel like it, which is _always _if they manage to spot you_. _It's just more dangerous at night, because we're at a disadvantage. Safety is an _illusion_ as long as there are Chimeras out there, and staying in the village, even in your _own homes_ does not guarantee anyone's safety." As he spoke, Lucas had clenched his fists, reflecting his hatred.

What he had said left both Bud and Lou shuttering, Lou getting closer to Bud as a result. Fuel showed a hint of uneasiness while Lighter remained still, listening attentively. He was rattled after the unveiling of this news, but also impressed with how much information Lucas had gathered of the situation.

The young psychic continued, "That's why the only way we'll be alright is when we have gotten _rid of them. _It is unlikely they will continue to respect the boundaries of town anymore, so not only might they invade the village, they will come _stronger _than before. And we haven't even gotten a number yet. All we can hope is that there is just this _one_, and nothing else. But I'm afraid to say, this is unlikely."

"Now that you boys confirmed that the threat exists, we must take precautions," He glanced to his son, "Fuel due to this, you are _not _to leave home without either me, Lou or Bud. You must be accompanied at all times, understand?"

He wasn't about to object so all Fuel could do was listen. "Y-Yes Sir." He said obediently.

"Mr. Lighter, I know my dad informed the village, but I hope you also tell them again, they'll listen to you. I'm going to gather my friends, and look more into this as soon as we can. Those _things _are not going to hurt anyone, as long as I can help it." Lucas said as he pointed with his left hand to the west where the forest resided, also pointing in Bud and Lou's general direction where they were standing. Lou saw the way he pointed and hid behind Bud, not wanting to be in the way of Lucas's finger, knowing what he could summon should he have another 'accident'.

Lucas caught this and pulled his hand back, looked at it briefly for any sign of unrestrained power, which he found none of. Then glanced at Lou before placing his hand in his pocket. He guessed that now, even his _finger _seemed threatening to others, so now he had to watch out when using body language.

Lighter pulled his mouth into a smile. "My, how you've grown Lucas. I know I've told you this before, but slowly you're beginning to look more and more like your father, and not just physically. The way you're determined to protect the town that isn't very fond of you, is very noble. Your — your mother would be proud. . ."

Lucas faced the ground. _She _is _proud._

"I know Flint doesn't look after you as much, but you still shouldn't worry him, I know how your old man can get. It's late so you should head back home. And . . .Thank you. . . You cannot comprehend how grateful I am that you helped Fuel. First Flint saved him, and now you, heh, the resemblance continues. I guess those powers of yours are more than what people say they are. You ought to prove them wrong, and put them to good use."

_Kumatora said the same thing. _"I'll—I'll do my best. Thank you Mr. Lighter. Bye Fuel." They exchanged waves. "I'll see you around Mr. Lou and Mr. Bud. And good night everyone."

"Bye Lucas!" He heard them say as he stepped out of the door. While Lucas began walking along the path, he could hear the voices from inside, "Fuel, you stink, hop in the shower."

"Awww but _D__aaaad_, I'm hungry, I wanna eat—"

"_Shower first!" _Lucas only smiled.

The little bird had been perched on the roof with its head tucked behind its wing, until it heard the close of a door, stirring it awake. It jumped into flight to follow the boy. Lucas could feel how drowsy it had become.

_If you're tired, you can rest on my shoulder if you'd like._

_(Really?)_

_Yeah I don't mind. _

Lucas stood still and allowed Pidgey to perch on his right shoulder. It puffed its feathers and rested its body down, so its plumage could cover its legs from the cold. With its eyes closed it asked him, _(So how did it go?) _

He walked down the hill. _Well the good thing is that we were able to tell others about this and his dad took it well, we weren't expecting him to be so calm. Fuel and I thought he would become furious, but he didn't. But I could definitely sense anger in him, especially when he found out about the Chimeras. _

_(You mean those evil serpent creatures? Are those what Chimeras are? Are they native to this land?)_

_Yes those were a species of Chimera and no, they are not native to these islands, technically they aren't suppose to exist. _

The bird tilted its head curiously and had opened its eyes, which were twinkling in the moonlight. _(Why?)_

_It's a long story. Basically some bad people captured peaceful animals and turned them into different creatures, combining or mix-matching. . . their _parts _to become something new and terrifying. The creatures also became violent in the process, loosing their minds, almost as if their new creation had also hard-wired them to become aggressive._

_(Th-that's terrible! Why would humans want to do something so wicked?)_

_Well maybe it's just because they are bad, that's it. _Lucas knew the true motives of the army, _The Fascinating Chimera Project_ as they dubbed it, but decided to spare the bird the details. He did not want to spark that whole conversation right now.

_(I guess every place has bad people. Where I'm from, there is an organization known as _Team Rocket, _who steal many of our kind from Trainers and also turn some of us bad using their technology. It hurts them and they have no control of themselves and are made to do bad things.)_

Lucas turned to his right, the bird coming into view. _Really? _He said, his voice carrying a tone of dismay. _[Steal. . . technology. . . no control. . ._bad things. . ._]_ These words lingered in the boy's mind, hitting too close to home. He looked away, feeling disturbed at the idea, sensing the distant fear hidden away in the back of the little bird's mind. He thought of Kumatora's words from earlier, _Maybe there is someone else out there that needs our help. . ._

_I'm sorry to hear that. . ._

_(Yeah. . . But the positive side is that we are lucky to have people trying to stop them and their dirty plans, very powerful Trainers.)_

_[There's that word again, _Trainers. . ._] _Silence rose among the two until Lucas, still using telepathy, spoke, _You mentioned it before, but what are Pokémon?_

_(Well, Pokémon are what we call creatures where I'm from. Some roam the wild, others live side-by-side with humans. Others are trained in the competitive sport of battling while some people have them as company. I'm a Pokémon too!)_

Lucas was intrigued and wanted to know more about the world and its creatures beyond the islands. _And where you're from, it's across the sea right? _He expected the word 'right' to be an obvious reply but what the bird said only confused him.

_(Um, actually, it's a little more beyond that.)_

_Beyond? [What could be beyond the sea?]_

_(I know it sounds strange but I honestly don't know how to explain how I got here in the first place. The beginning of my flight felt like I was flying into a tunnel but there were no walls, just space. When that was done, I came face-to-face with the open ocean. It was very difficult to find these islands, they are so well hidden. I felt like I was flying into open sea with no end, all I knew was that I had to keep flying. The reason why a Pidgey was chosen to complete the delivery, is because we have an almost perfect sense of direction. No matter where we are or how far away we fly from home, we can always find our way back. But for some reason, I got lost. I was lucky I spotted land at the last minute. These islands are different from any other lands I've been to. Almost as if I needed to become lost to arrive here.)_

Now this confused him even more, most of it did not make sense. Under normal circumstances, he would have pressed for more information, but he was too tired at the moment. _Well they are called the Nowhere Islands after all, I'm guessing that name was not just picked at random. _

_(True.)_

_By the way about your delivery, if you don't know where to go or need help navigating the town, I'm sure Bateau can help out. He's the carrier pigeon expert around here. He use to handle all mail and his flock but he doesn't do it the old-fashioned way anymore but I know he knows a lot more about this than I do. He doesn't like to be bothered much but I will try to get his help so we can find the person you need to deliver the letter to._

_(That's not needed because I already know the recipient and know where they live too.)_

They had reached the middle of town square, many homes no longer had their lights on, most likely the neighborhood had gone to bed. At least he would soon be able to rest as well, he looked forward to lying in his bed. For some reason, it felt like the longest day in a while, at least to him.

_Oh? What's their name? _He asked.

_(I tried telling you before but things got in the way. It's you! You're the recipient.) _It squawked pleasantly in its mind.

_Oh. . . Hmm, mmmm. . ._The boy hummed to himself.

. . .

"Wait, what?" He said aloud, his voice echoed throughout the middle of town. He slapped his hand over his mouth, that was _too_ loud. _What do you mean it's me?_

_(I mean the letter is for you. Aren't you Lucas and isn't this place Tazmily?)_

_Yes but, how can that be? There must be some mistake, I don't get mail. I've never gotten mail unless messages from my friends count. I've especially never received something from outside of the islands._

_(Well you have now.)_

_Who would send me mail anyway?_

_(I can tell you what I know.)_

This was the opportunity Lucas was waiting for. _Yes, please tell me._

_(Well I remember seeing a man walk in, to use our delivery service, a very tall man dressed in fancy black clothes. He had a monocle tucked away in the front pocket of his suit that was attached to a shiny gold chain. He wore a nice hat too, I think they are called top hats? The strangest thing about him was his right hand. He wore white gloves but sometimes, I could see the right one _glow. . ._ Anyway, he's the man that sent the letter. Apparently he is in charge of an important organization, an elite team of some sort. That's all I know, sorry it isn't much.)_

_No, you said plenty. _A tall man dressed in black, with a glowing white glove who is the leader of an organization. Was this the organization, the _They _that Pidgey had thought of earlier when he accidentally eavesdropped on its thoughts? If so, why did they need him? What could he offer? How did they know who he was? Had word about him gotten around that quickly? Only that letter may have the answers to his questions.

_Sorry if I said something wrong. _It apologized again, after catching Lucas's expression. His emotions had also leaked through the telepathic link and Pidgey felt his confusion and apprehension.

_N-no don't be. I'm glad you know something about this. _Whatever that letter was about, he could not worry about it now, there were more important things to deal with first. So he continued to tread down the path in silence towards the southern ridge. He caught the dark smoke billowing from the chimney of his house and the scent of burning wood in the air mixed with the humidity of the ocean spray. Lucas walked around the trees and passed the sheep's pen, who were sound asleep, and stopped when he reached Boney's dog house. He found his stick leaning on it. If only he had taken it with him from the start, then he would not have been as defenseless when he was first attacked.

He was about to pull open the door, but his curiosity got the better of him. He turned back and was about to jump to the roof to retrieve the red metal tube, until Pidgey mentioned, _(You said it's on the roof right? I can get it for you, it is my job after all.) _It quickly fluttered over the house, scanned the roof before finding it next to the chimney. It let out a sigh of relief when it saw that the tube was intact. Picking it up with both feet, it flew back down and dropped it on Lucas's open hands, then perched over the dog house. Forgetting that it was heavier than it seemed, its landing made the boy's hands dip down. He turned it around until the silver symbol that was engraved on it was centered. Considering the light from the moon, the symbol reflected its intensity, almost as if the symbol itself had a luminous quality.

He ran his hand over its smooth surface and reached to the top where there was a lid. He tried twisting it but it did not turn so he attempted to tug at it. _Well how am I suppose to open it? The lid won't budge. _

_(Oh right, I forgot. You're suppose to speak your name. It's a security measure so no one else can open it.)_

_Oh, okay I'll try. _He cleared his throat. "Lucas." He said aloud, feeling ridiculous that he was speaking to an inanimate object as if it would understand him—It wouldn't be the first time. Not everything could be helped with some Encouraging Words.—Nothing happened after speaking his name. He thought of the automated technology that the Pigmasks would use and decided to mimic the way in which they would speak to their devices. "This is Lucas speaking, and I command that you open!" He spoke forcefully.

Still nothing. What was he doing wrong? _Nothing's working Pidgey, what else can I do?_

_(Maybe try using your brain?)_

Was it trying to insult him? Trying to call him stupid? _Well that's not very nice. . ._

_(Oh sorry, I meant try using your psychic abilities.)_

Maybe he was kind of clueless, that or he was really tired. _Oh right, my telepathy duh. _He shook his head and looked back to the tube, and thought aloud, "_My name is Lucas—" _

As if controlled by a hydraulic system, steam spewed out from the sides of the top and the lid flipped open, hanging from a tiny hinge connected to the interior of the tube. Lucas held it out to avoid the sudden burst of pressure from reaching his face. A swirl of smoke evaporated from the inside and there was a faint glow emanating from within. Something thin and twisted emerged out and unfurled itself as if by _magic_. . . He was sure he was not the one manipulating the object, it was doing it on _its own._

It was a plain white envelope, floating in place before him, as if waiting for him to pluck it out of the air.

So he did. He held it by the side using one hand, and read what was written on the front in a font that seemed almost too perfect to be written by human hands. There were only three simple lines of text printed on it that could be made out in the moonlight:

_Lucas of Tazmily_

_Nowhere Islands_

_Universe: EarthBound_

He stared at it for a minute, analyzing every detail of each letter, of each word; not fully accepting what he was holding, not able to comprehend the last line of text. _[Universe?]_ He turned it over and saw a deep red wax seal. Its imprint was the same symbol as the one engraved on the tube. His hand hovered over the seal, preparing to lift it.

He froze. He could not do this, not yet.

_(What's the matter, aren't you going to open it?)_

What should he tell it, that he was _afraid? _Afraid about what information was on it? It was possible that something insignificant was written and he was panicking over nothing. But the opposite was also probable. After all, why would someone go to this length just to send _him_ a letter?

_I. . . I can't do this now, I need to speak with my dad first. I need to tell him what happened. Whatever this is, it can wait one night. But this. . . This problem cannot._

_(Oh, I understand.)_

_Come on, we should go inside._

_(Are you sure your father is okay with me going back in after what I did? It's okay if I have to stay out here for the night, I don't want to impose. I'll even stay where these regional Mareeps are.)_

_It'll be okay, I will explain everything to him. [Mareeps?]_

It hesitated. _(O-okay.)_

Lucas curved the unopened envelope to return it to the tube. As he shifted the metal object around, he heard something rattle inside. _Hm, there's something else in here. _He turned it upside-down but the object would not come out. So he used telekinesis to retrieve it. A porous oval stone rolled onto his palm. _What's this rock for?_

_(I'm not sure but I know it's not intended for you. I don't think it's suppose to be in there.)_

_Is this why the tube was so heavy? _He said as he looked over it, then tossed it next to the dog house after he found nothing of importance.

_Let's get out of the cold. _Lucas pushed the lid of the tube back down, sealing the letter safely within. He proceeded to open the door.

Flint had been sitting in the rocking chair next to the fireplace, carving something out of wood using a small dagger. He jumped as he heard the turn of a doorknob and signed in relief after his son stepped inside with the brown bird perched on his shoulder. Boney had been asleep and yawned as he awoke, happily wagging his tail at the sight of his boy.

"Lucas, you're back!" _Finally. . . _He thought relieved. He set his little project down on the mantle. "You took quite awhile, I was beginning to worry a little." His emotions said otherwise, he was _very_ worried and had been so for a long time. "It's freezing out there, I'll bring you some more tea." He promptly stood. He saw how his son was immobile, and anticipated something. . .

With his back to him, Lucas closed the door. "Dad. . ." He said as he turned around to face him, Flint taking note of his grave expression. "We have a problem. . ."

Flint only looked on, wondering what the boy could mean. Was it him? Was _he _the problem? Was his son _upset_ with him although he had said he wasn't? "W-what do you mean son?" His tone was off.

Lucas relaxed his expression, after feeling his father's tension. He did not want him to misunderstand. So only two words were enough for the message to be clear. "They're back. . ."

Flint paused to understand then said, "Lucas, you should sit." His father quickly pulled up a chair from the dining table and made his way to the stove to fetch his son another hot beverage. Lucas shuffled over while Pidgey spotted a comfortable place, the coat hanger by the door, and jumped to it.

With a hot cup of tea and the warm fireplace, Lucas sat across from his father. He took a long drink, even with it almost boiling, before he began to explain the situation. "On my way to the spring, I was attacked by three Slitherhens. I had a tough time driving them away. If it wasn't for Pidgey's help, I wouldn't have made it."

Flint shifted his eyes under his hat to the bird by the door, knowing Lucas was referring to it.

"We got fixed up at the spring and on our way back, I heard someone yelling for help. Fuel was out there and I ran to him as fast as I could. It was the same three Slitherhens, the ones I should have dealt with first. They hurt Fuel so I. . . hurt them." Lucas did not feel comfortable with himself for what he had done, especially with the way he had done it. So telling his father much else was also avoided, leaving out the details of _how _he defeated the enemy as to not mention the use of his abilities but this did not stop his father from believing otherwise. No doubt everyone had awoken to the thunder from before. It was a clear night after all so where else could it have come from?

"Those Chimeras were very tough, unlike any variety I've ever fought. After, I healed Fuel and we went to Mr. Lighter's house and we explained everything to him. Mr. Lou and Mr. Bud heard everything too. I told them that there are definitely more out there because we found signs on our way back, Fuel and I just couldn't figure out what kind."

Flint only listened attentively, not interrupting him at all. When Lucas finished, Flint sat pensively taking time to absorb all that was said. When he finally did speak, it came with a tone of one with an unbelievably cool composure. "This. . . This can be handled. Tomorrow I will inform everyone again, this time with certainty of the threat. No one should be permitted in the forest until we have a firmer grasp of the severity of the situation. I will attempt to speak with the Police about blocking the paths, they may also be able to help in their own way. If the town's safety is concerned, everyone will get involved no doubt." Flint noticed how Lucas was bobbing his head in an attempt to stay awake, growing comfortable in the warm room. The cup almost slipped out of his hands so he involuntarily grasped it on its way down, he did not want to break another cup. "But for now, it's time for bed. You shouldn't concern yourself with this now." He was pretty tired himself.

"Y-yeah." Lucas said, being too tired to stand so he leaned back further in his seat. Boney had come and rest his chin on his knee, his tongue out. _Sorry Boney. Dad was right, I should have let you come with me. _He apologized.

"You said that this little bird helped you?" Flint asked as he stood and made his way to Pidgey who had been perched on the coat hanger by the door. It had its head behind its wing and awoke when it felt footsteps approaching it. It looked to the tall man, feeling a little intimidated.

"Y-yes, he's really amazing for his size."

"Did you find out what was wrong with it? And how about the letter?"

"Oh uh. . . He's fine now. He'll behave so told him he could stay in for the night. He told me he'll deliver the letter first thing in the morning ." He said, lying. Unknown to Lucas, Flint caught the tone, the one his son used when he was unsure, but did not acknowledge it further.

Flint tipped his hat to the bird, his quiet way of saying thanks, before removing and hanging it. He removed his vest while Lucas went to change into his pajamas, with his eyes already half closed.

Soon, he crawled into bed and quickly felt sleep taking him just as his head rest on his pillow. Boney, allowed to stay in for the cold night, curled on an oval rug at the base of Lucas's bed. Flint blew out the candles, managed the fireplace so that only coals were still burning, and lowered the knob on the kerosene lamp, limiting the flow of the flammable liquid just enough for it to stay on to provide a speck of light in the dark room. The hushed atmosphere settled in the residence and soon, all were sound asleep. . .

* * *

He woke with a start and sat upright, remembering an important object. He did not know how long he had been asleep, maybe an hour? He felt something, something with his sixth sense. The object he had left by the front door, somehow _resonated_ within him, as if calling his name. This wasn't a dream. It couldn't be. He rubbed the sleep away from his eyes and quietly lifted up the blankets and got out of bed, wide awake. The floor was cold as if he was stepping on ice. One wooden piece creaked as he made his way to the front door. His father shifted in his sleep. He did not want to wake him, for more than one reason.

He reached the door, and picked up the cylindrical object, made his way to the dining table where the lamp was placed. He took a seat. He turned the knob a fraction of an inch, the flame grew. Once again, Lucas looked over the tube. He knew he was not going to be able to sleep until he opened the message, nor would this strange sensation permit him. He held it close to the flame, observing the details with clearer eyes and a more stable source of light. At the top, he found a tiny message engraved along the tube, something he had not noticed before:

_As one who speaks with the mind, state your name._

Pidgey was right. How had it known in the first place? Still, he spoke with a voice that would have been mistaken for a wisp of the wind, _"Lucas."_

The top opened, but not like before. The original seal must have been broken the first time it had opened. Did this mean it could be opened normally now? Whatever, it didn't matter. He was just glad it did not make any noise.

Like before, the white envelope emerged and floated in place. He felt it more pronounced this time, this piece of paper definitely had been emanating something to him. He stared at it for a long minute before taking it with both hands. He flipped it over, the wax seal coming into view. He rested his thumb and index finger on the seal. He pulled it upward.

And opened the letter.


	13. The Mysterious Box

Chapter 13: The Mysterious Box

It was a day like any other. The mid-afternoon sun blazed its way onto the Nowhere Islands so it was perfect to spend time and relax under the shade of the trees. While the villagers had errands to run, the children spent their usual free time by playing their juvenile games like hide-and-seek and tag among others. One of these children ran through the center of town avoiding obstacles and people with such precision, it made one believe he had done the same hundreds of times. By the looks of it, the villagers had grown accustomed to this behavior, and avoided him accordingly as well, suspecting he was being chased like always.

The current traveling above him caught his orange hair, which flowed like tiny ribbons, his cerulean shoes kicked up clouds of dirt as he ran, while his khaki shorts and yellow and teal striped shirt caught the draft and blew backwards, allowing the boy a form of ventilation, the air felt refreshing as it traveled through his clothes.

He was panting but at the same time his laugh was unrestrained. "Come on Lucas, why do you have'ta be such a slowpoke?" He shouted as his younger _twin _brother tried his best to catch up to him.

A ways behind was the young blond boy, who almost collided with another resident. "Oops, s-sorry!" He apologized as he ran past. "C-Claus, _wait!" _He shouted back. "Don't run so fast!" If Lucas tried running any faster, he knew he would trip on his own legs.

"If you wanna see it, you have to keep up!" He called back as he dashed in a sharp turn, Lucas skid as he tried mimicking the same motion, flailing his arms to retain his balance.

"Where are we running to anyway?" He yelled to his excited brother.

"You'll see, but we have to hurry!" Just as Claus reached to forest entrance, he stopped, knowing he had to subdue the intensity for his younger brother. When Lucas finally managed to catch up, he heaved forward and leaned on his knees, gasping for air. Claus breathed as normal, he was well adapted to this level of adrenaline.

Once Lucas recovered, Claus was quick to give him a strong slap on the back. "Come on, at least _try_ to tough it out, you're gonna feel the burn but don't let it slow you down."

"I mean, I'm trying, but it's hard." Lucas said with an added tone of complaint. Claus hated whining.

"Quit it with that attitude will ya? The way I see it, the harder something is, the better. If you always challenge yourself, then everything else will only be easier!"

Lucas stood upright. "Easy for you to say." He mumbled.

"Psh, whatever. Come on let's go!" He said as he confidently walked into the shadows of the trees.

"Wait, we're going in there?" The younger brother pointed a trembling finger to the shrouded passage ahead.

"Uhh, yeah, duh. There's something I gotta show you. I was gonna tell Fuel first, but then I figured you would rush to Mom and complain to her by saying, 'Mohhhm, Claus wasn't being fair agaaaain!' or something annoying like that." He had mimicked Lucas's whining tone, his voice sounding exact.

The bond gave him a little pout before glancing into the depths of the forest. "But Dad said we're not allowed to go in there alone."

"Don't be afraid to break the rules once in a while Luke, and we're not alone, we're together! Besides, Dad only said that 'cause he doesn't want us to get hurt but think about it, what's the worst that can happen in there, you tripping and getting your knees scraped again? That wouldn't exactly be the forest's fault."

"Ehh—"

"Unless you don't want to come 'cause you think you can't handle it or because you're too scared. If that's the case then go back home with Mom, I'd rather not have you crying again. I knew I should've told Fuel about this instead." He looked away from him.

"I'm not _scared! _I can handle it!" Lucas objected as he waved his fists at his sides, attempting to express determination.

"Then why are you still standing there? Come on, let's go!" He waved his arm, motioning they move onward.

Claus lead the way into the tall trees. For two young nine year-olds, the forest seemed so vast, never ending sprawling vegetation as far as the eye could see, areas yet to be explored. They could hear strange and unknown forest sounds that could have belonged to any wildlife. Creatures that could be dwelling in wait of potential prey, and the uncertainty of where they were going, seemed to scare the blond boy so he made sure to stay close to his brother. He looked around himself for any sign of watching eyes, wincing as they went deeper and deeper into the unknown. Though this forest was labeled as peaceful and harmless, Lucas was tackling a new feat and felt anxiety crawl into him, like the ubiquitous ants rushing into their anthills. He was unsure of the possible dangers that may have lied ahead. At least Claus was with him, he felt secure knowing his tougher brother was here.

They made their way into the dense vegetation, onto a trail that diverted from the main path. Soon, Lucas saw as Claus lead him to a large shrub, which could have been mistaken for a short tree, a hedge if you will. Claus walked up to it and dug his hands into the leaves, then pulled out a branch, revealing an entrance. From what Lucas could tell, the leaves were very prickly and probably poisonous, but his brother remained unfazed. "Hurry up, go inside." He said as he struggled to hold the tension of the branch.

"Me? Go in _there?" _Lucas asked. "B-but the leaves are too spiky!"

"Hurry it up Lucas, this thing is hard to pull back. If you don't _move it._ This thing's gonna whack you—"

"Okay okay, I'm going!" he said as he placed a leg in first, the leaves scratching him along his knee and shins. It was a tight fit, but he quickly pulled himself in, his shirt getting caught along the bristles. He found that he had entered a damp canopy, a completely different area unlike the rest of these woods. It was filled with plant life he did not know could inhabit the forest. "What about you?" He asked as he turned around.

But his brother was not there. In fact, the shrub seemed like it had never moved. No light passed through from the other side. Just darkness. He looked for another way in, but he could not find a way around this.

"C-Claus. . ." He raised his voice into the plant, but it did not penetrate, it _couldn't _penetrate. It felt like shouting directly at a brick wall. When there was no reply, Lucas bent over and frantically began digging through the poked plant, receiving tiny splinters on his palms. "C-CLAUS?!"

"What's up?"

"AAHHH!" Lucas jumped and whipped around, his heart almost beating out of his chest. He found his brother looking down at him curiously. "B-but how—you were just—" He pointed to the bush behind himself.

"Wow Lucas, you don't see me for two seconds and you're already about to cry."

"No I wasn't! How did you—"

"Come on, we're wasting time, it could be _gone_ already!" He said as he grabbed his startled brother by the wrist and pulled him to his feet.

Lucas did not understand what had happened. He blinked several times then asked, "Claus, how did you get passed the bush?" _You really scared me with that._

"Whad'ya mean? I walked in right after you, don't you remember? I told you to move out of the way and pushed you when you didn't. Then you turned around and started screaming into the plants, I don't know what's up with that."

"Th-that happened? I. . . I don't remember that." He said as he looked down. Lucas did not know why but he got the feeling that he was not suppose to let Claus out of his sight.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Lucas only nodded, though he was not certain if he was alright. As normal as everything seemed, something made him feel like this whole situation was improbable. But he did not want to believe it so he pushed the feeling away.

Claus continued to lead the way, Lucas staying close behind him. Soon they reached a tree, a tree that was planted between two small boulders and which towered above all others. "This is it." Claus said as he stopped to look to his brother. Both boys stood at the pine's base, gazing up at it, this evergreen was a sight to behold. The blond's eyes wavered while the red-head's eyes sought to tackle this challenge. "Come on, race ya!" Claus said with a running start and began climbing against the thick trunk, using the extended branches as steps. From here, they seemed to ladder to the top.

"C-Claus, wait, are you sure about this? This tree is really tall and we've never climbed one so tall like this one before."

"It's only tall because you _think_ it's tall."

"What? No it's not, I mean it's _actually_ tall!" Lucas began yelling at this point, as his brother was already a ways above him.

"Fine, don't come up here. This is the only way to get a better view! You won't be able to see _it _from down there."

What was _IT_ anyway? He needed to find out. Lucas found a foot hold, placed his right shoe on the bark and tried reaching for the nearest branch above him. He shoe slipped, his knee scraping the side of the the knobbly bark. He hissed aloud, his knee began stinging with the added injury. He tried again, this time with a running start, mimicking Claus's motion. He succeeded in grabbing the branch but now found another problem, he was unable to pull himself up. So he kicked against the bark, as if running up against the tree. When his body was parallel to the ground, he hugged the branch and hauled his leg over it, rolling so he was over the thick tree's limb. He sat on it for a minute, wiping the sweat away. He looked up, shading his eyes from the sun's rays that managed to puncture the canopy and stream through like tiny lasers, as if concentrated by a magnifying glass. He searched for the yellow or teal stripes of his brother's shirt, but with no success. They must have blended too well to be spotted. Debris from above fell into his eyes and he looked away, rubbing at them. His brother was probably at the top by now. _Why is Claus so much better at this than me?_ Lucas thought.

After his short break, he stood, using the tree's base for support. The hardest part was done, all he had to do from here was ascend the ladder of branches. He found they were close together and very straight, an easy way up. What got in his way were the pine needles and the occasional oozing sap that was extremely sticky. He found this to be a nuisance, discouraging him from continuing, but he couldn't leave Claus on his own. Maybe the sap would aid him in his ascent, providing a kind of adhesive so he would not slip. He needed to remember to look at the positive side of things, his mother had recently told him that.

The branches grew thin with every one that he passed, until they began to bend under him, so he tested them before allowing his full weight onto them. He did not know how flexible they were or their fracture point, the best he could do was take a guess at which ones would support him and hope for the best. He paused while trying to reassure himself, _Mom's new word. . . Optimism! Just stay positive_. "Okay, okay, you're doing good Lucas, better than ever actually, just remember not to look down— "

He looked down.

And immediately regretted it and embraced the tree's center, sap sticking to his face and hair. He let out a worried moan and shut his eyes. Just when he thought he was doing so good. He knew from the start that this tree was too tall, why did he let Claus talk him into doing this?

"Lucas, you almost here yet?"

The twin's voice broke him from his temporary state of panic. "Um, yeah, almost there. . . heh. . ." He laughed nervously. Hearing how Claus had expected his arrival, had given Lucas the motivation to see this through. Whatever was at the top, it better be worth all of this trouble.

Lucas caught a point of orange hair through the thicket, maybe a meter or two away. He was too eager to find Claus that he rushed into a pine cone that struck his forehead and a branch of sticky pine needles, sap smeared across his face, their strong smell overwhelming his senses. "Awww, _yuck! _They got in my mouuuth! _Plehhh!"_

Claus rolled his eyes. "Sheesh, it's about time. What took you so long? Did you take a nap on the way up here or what?"

"_Blehhggg!" _He shook his head to clear some of the pine needles away from his hair. "I didn't take _that_ long. Maybe five minutes tops."

"More like _fifteen _minutes at the least. But good thing it's still here. . ."

Lucas occupied himself with his sap covered hands and his needle infested hair that he had forgotten why he had come up here in the first place. No matter what he did, he could not get the fresh pine taste out of his mouth. If he tried using his hands on his hair, then sap would most likely rub off, so there was no helping it now. "What's still here? I still don't know what _it _is. You've been so vague about it the whole time."

"Don't tell me you don't see it Lucas."

"See _what?_" He said with minor frustration.

And Claus pointed in the direction of the mountains. Lucas looked to his finger before extending his sight into the distance where Claus wanted him to see. Finally, he saw it. This had definitely had been worth the climb.

In between the ocean of trees, was a continuous beam of colorful light that seemed to be gushing from the earth like a geyser. Lucas could see the undulation of the wave as it rose, the current became concentrated before being pushed upward with greater force. It went far into the sky and faded before reaching the clouds. Any further, and it would have gone beyond triple the height of the mountains. It was then he felt a form of aerial pressure as if he could _sense_ the waves from this tree top, even thought the source of the light was more than a few kilometers away. It wasn't possible to _sense _this was it? He wasn't suppose to be able to sense it, whatever _it_ was.

"W-whooaa. . . What do you think it is Claus?"

"I don't know, but that's where we're going to find out." He pointed to the light's source.

"But isn't it far away? We can't go all the way over _there."_

"Sure we can! It'll be like going to Grandad Alec's home! Except it'll just be me and you. Mom or Dad won't have to hold your hand for this one Lucas." Claus tried encouraging him.

This wasn't the only thing Lucas worried about. "But—but. . . Don't you feel it too? That warm feeling, like when he have static in our blankets?"

"Don't think you're alone with that one Lucas, 'cause I can definitely feel like some sort of _energy_ is coming from that place."

"That's why I don't think it's a good idea, we don't know anything about it, it could be danger—"

"Are you coming or not?" Claus asked as he had already begun his descent.

"C-Claus, wait!" Lucas said as he grabbed the branch he was leaning on. He had just arrived here and his brother had not allowed him a break. He took a step down to the closest limb and began his descent cautiously. As he approached the ground, he began to rush the final steps, quickly reaching the lowest bough, the one he had climbed onto first. He sat on it for a breather, allowing his legs to dangle, unsure about letting himself drop from this height.

Claus was waiting by the trunk. "Just jump down, it's not that high."

_I don't think I can. _"O-okay. . ." Lucas reluctantly pushed himself off and panicked just as he left the branch. While landing, he felt the shock of the impact run through his left foot up into his leg and he staggered, while his right shoe hit the ground in an awkward position, twisting in a painful way. He let himself fall on his side. "Aahhh!"

"Oh man, Lucas!" Claus rushed to him and knelt beside him. He found his brother clenching his ankle, hissing in pain, tears beginning to form in his eyes.

"You're okay right?" Claus asked, worry was heard in his tone.

Lucas couldn't continue lying, "N-no. . ." He winced, his ankle began throbbing more intensely.

"Come on Lucas, it can't be that bad. I keep telling you, you gotta tough it out!"

"I—I can't. I can't Claus, it hurts too much."

_You're only doing this to stop us from going, aren't you?_

"No I'm not, I want to keep going with you Claus!"

Claus stood, a shadow seemed to cover his eyes, Lucas could see the disappointment on his face.

_I swear, sometimes it's like we can read each other's mind. _"You obviously can't go anymore Lucas." _I'm not missing this because of you. _"So you should just go back home when you feel better, the path is pretty straight forward from here. But because you say you _can't_, then just wait here for me. I'll go check it out myself then I'll be back in no time." _You'll only continue to slow me down. _He turned and walked into the shrubs without looking back.

It was as if Lucas could _hear_ what his brother was thinking. Both had had this sensation occur in the past. But this shouldn't have been possible. Could it?

"But—but. . . Don't leave me alone Claus! You're not suppose to go _alone!" We were suppose to go together!_ His leg ached as he straightened it, knowing he had to force himself up no matter the throbbing feeling.

_Claus, don't go alone. . ._

But he had no will to stand. He lay there, allowing his eyes to close, just for a second, a tear streamed on the side of his cheek. _I. . . I want to be stronger. . ._

. . .

It was a second too long. He forced them back open, becoming shocked at the drastic change in scenery. This was not right. How long had he been laying there?

This was the second time this had happened, a blackout in his short-term memory, but in this instance, it had been for a much longer period of time. The forest around him was no longer bathed in afternoon sunshine, instead it had changed to _sunset._ This reflected in the pronounced shadows of the trees which were now cast in the opposite direction.

_What—what happened?_

He moved his leg, it no longer _ached!_ How was it that he was _healed?_ He briskly stood on his previously injured foot and it was as if the pain had never been present. Also the ground seemed to be further away than before, but he did not think about it too much, just something he noticed.

With the realization that he was fine, the first urge shot in his mind, _Claus! I have to catch up to Claus! _He rushed into the shrub where he had seen his brother pass, and shoved his way through.

Claus said he wanted to know more about the light. Maybe if he went there himself, he would find him. . . _Maybe. . ._

"Claus!" He shouted, he jumped as his voice was engulfed by the surrounding forest, but he heard it well enough to spot the difference. It was now a deeper tone, as if he had _aged. _He was no longer nine years-old as he had just been moments ago. But was it really moments ago?

Lucas now began to suspect that Something was messing with his head. He would not allow the changes to distract him, the dark environment, the age difference, the sudden healing. . . He felt these changes were only attempting to hinder him. He could not allow his focus to waver, he needed to find Claus. Since when had his brother become _lost?_ How did he know he was lost to begin with? _No, he's not lost. He's just. . . Astray. . ._

Whatever this _Something_ was, it was trying to prevent him from moving forward because when he tried running, his legs were suddenly too heavy. He felt as if he was dragging heavy iron balls that were chained to his ankles. Lucas pulled and pulled, finally falling forward, this was too much. Beads of sweat trickled from his forehead, the physical effort meant nothing. As he propped himself on his hands, he understood this could not be resolved with his physical body. What had Claus said before about the tree? _It's only tall because you _think_ it's tall. _So maybe his legs only felt this way _because _he himself put the mental obstruction there, because he _accepted_ that the Something was placing this obstacle on him. But no longer would he accept it. _I want to be stronger, _he told himself more forcefully. Immediately after this thought, it was as if the metaphoric chains had been shattered, with the power of his _thoughts. _He got up and ran, not wanting to give this minute success much thought.

He rushed to the north, passing different variations of dark greens, browns and blues, sometimes purples. His surroundings were too hazy, as if his mind was unable to manifest the proper images in time with the speed at which he was traversing the forest. _Manifest? No. I'm seeing this with my own eyes. . . Right? Unless. . . Wait, am I—am I. . . No I can't be, this is all too real. _He paused, unsure of whether or not to believe all of this anymore. Even if he no longer believed it, he still had to see this through to the end. He did not have a choice.

A draft of cooling air whipped above him, carrying crumbs of dried leaves, the smells of late Summer. But it also carried the sound of something recognizable into his ear. The subtle sound of a familiar phrase was no more than a whisper as if it had been uttered from a mile away. The sound had lost strength while it traveled to this location, as if tiny fragments had fallen along the way, but he still heard it clearly, it seemed the forest itself was addressing him.

_[The boy named Lucas is loitering in the forest. . .]_

"Wh-who's there?" He asked as he turned. The added stuttering seemed to worsen.

He heard movement beside a tree and turned to the source just as an animal slithered out. Lucas flinched but after he caught sight of the wretched creature, he prepared himself, readying his first offensive strike. _This isn't possible. . . I got rid of you!_

The Red Slitherhen he had mercilessly taken down, now looked to him, lolling its head curiously to the side. The desire for murder was gone from its eyes, replaced by a mellow tone of faded red. Seeing as the boy was still, it found it was able to communicate what it wanted. But it could not speak. So instead, the Red Slitherhen turned its feathery head, picked up a rectangular object with its beak and held it up for the boy to read the appearing text:

(Although I'm unable to speak, this sign I am holding is generous enough to display what I want to say. First, it doesn't matter you killed me by crushing my bones, I had to endure so much more pain when I was converted into a Chimera. Being captured, torn apart and spliced back with separate parts is agonizing you know? Second, isn't it your _job?_ To eliminate all artificial creatures? Aren't you suppose to _cleanse_ everything in the world by ridding it of any and all morbid life? If so, I guess it's okay that you put me out of my misery, you were just doing your job after all. I no longer had the right to live. All I can say to promote my innocence, is that it wasn't my fault, I didn't mean to do what I did to you. You know how it goes, many innocent lives are caught in the the cross fire of a raging battle, I just happened to be one of those lives, I'm sure you understand.)

Lucas was silent and still. After reading, his eyes met with the creature, then he looked down. "I'm. . . I'm sorry. . ." What else could he say?

So the Slitherhen turned around to leave, not accepting the boy's apology.

"W-wait, tell me who did this to you. Maybe I can find them and_—_"

(And what? _Kill_ them too? Don't you think enough lives have been lost already, and you want the bloodshed to continue?) The sign had displayed this response faster than he could read it, eliminating the previous lines of text in the blink of an eye.

"No, I don't want to . . . to. . ." He felt uncomfortable saying the word. ". . . _K-kill_ anyone, I want to _stop _them before they do bad things to other innocent lives!"

(You don't seem to understand, in order for you to stop them you have to hurt them, and sometimes the only way to do so _is to kill them, _like what you did to me. There is not always a peaceful or alternative solution. It wouldn't matter if I told you who was responsible anyway, they are already _gone. _You already _ended_ them. How many lost lives do you have under your conscience? Do you even _have_ one? All of this makes me wonder who the _real _monster is around here.)

That word made him feel uneasy. "No, you're wrong. I never killed anyone."

(Is that the lie you like to tell yourself? You know deep down it's a lie because I'm dead proof. Maybe before me, you never killed anyone _directly_, but your other actions did seriously hurt many, in the end, they most likely met the same fate as me. But whatever, what should I know right? I was just another mindless Chimera, and a _victim_.)

In his heart, he knew the Chimera was right. He became angry, angry that it spoke the truth.

_Why don't you go back into the forest where you came from?_

And in that moment, the Red Chimera was pulled away into the depths of the woods, as if a magnetic force acted upon it, attracting it to another end. The leaves were left rustling wildly, leaving Lucas petrified with how the Chimera had forcefully moved, he blinked a few times. How was it that his _thoughts_ had enacted upon the snake? There was something very wrong here, he was certain now.

Lucas was forced to look away._ I never wanted to hurt anyone. . . _He looked to the ground. The sign it had dropped now displayed new text:

_[The boy named Lucas is bullying animals. . .]_

He backed away from the sign, with every receding step, the words slowly faded away.

He did his best to push this encounter from his focus and continued moving north. Now he confronted many winding paths, like a labyrinth. Oddly, he knew which one to take, the proper path seemed to be logged away in the crevices of his memory somehow. Dead silence had fallen as he chose the new direction. The winds no longer blew, the trees remained still. The surrounding environment was void of life, no birds, no insects. Nothing. He noticed the trees beginning to shift in color. What was once a mixture of greens, browns, and occasional oranges, now became sickening in color, gradients of pale and dark hues emerged in their place.

The forest began to lose its familiarity, was he still in Sunshine Forest? He stopped as he heard a familiar tone, a strong but composed voice called out the name of a person, the same person Lucas sought to find. "Claaaus!"

Lucas eagerly rushed to the voice, busting through the low branches that clawed at him like skinny fingers, but he did not care and pushed them out of his way. He had entered a clearing, the colors of this environment were subdued and they no longer irritated his eyes. "D-Dad!" He panted.

Flint's back was to him, and Lucas saw as he raised his hands to his mouth to project his voice again. "Claaaus!"

"D-dad, i-it's me!"

His father turned around. "Lucas? What are you doing all the way out here? And by yourself?"

"I was—I was_—_"

"You know you are not allowed to come here on your own Lucas, it's too dangerous."

"But I wasn't alone, I was with _Claus_ a few minutes ago, but then he ran ahead by himself. I'm trying to catch up to him, I'm pretty sure I know which way he went. If we hurry, we can catch up to him."

Flint's face turned pale, and he gave Lucas a look of distraught. "Lucas, you shouldn't say things like that."

"Things like what?"

Flint's usual calm demeanor turned into something Lucas had never seen. "You know Claus has been missing and you say you were with him _minutes _ago? What's _wrong_ with you?"

"H-huh?" Lucas was unsure about where this shift had come from. "Dad, I don't know what you mean."

Flint looked down and shook his head. "Lucas, don't do this. You know your brother has been missing for _three years."_

The shock that struck him would have been enough to collapse a house. "W-_what?"_ Lucas felt himself begin to shake. "Th-that's _impossible!"_

"You know it's wrong to tell a lie Lucas. Especially to go so far as to say something like _this?_ Has your heart become_ wicked?"_

"It's not a lie Dad!" Lucas objected, distress overrode his voice. "He was just here with me, we climbed a tree together and we were going to—"

"Is it your guilt making you say this, making you _imagine_ your brother was by your side?"

"I SWEAR HE WAS JUST_ HERE_ DAD!"

"And if he was here, you let him get lost again? You left him on his own? Why didn't you go after him?"

"I tried, but I hurt my leg and I wasn't able to—"

"Sounds to me like you were too _weak_ and too _afraid_. Just like when you let him go on his own after the Drago. If you had gone with him that day, then perhaps he would not have become lost. He was always more courageous and resilient than you and would have pulled through, but you on the other hand. . . Maybe _you_ would have taken his place as my missing son! _I wish this had been the case! _ After all, this was _your fault!"_

His ears must have been deceiving him. His father would have never said this, yet here he was, finally telling him what he must have felt all of these years. Lucas backed away as he felt a new weight in his heart, and began _sensing _a malevolent presence coming from his father.

Flint began his approach, his shoulders hunched as if preparing to tackle and restrain the scared boy. Then he spoke words Lucas would never think to hear. "You disobeyed me. . . You failed your _brother. . . _I'm going to beat you. I'm going to _beat_ you _boy. . ._ Daddy's gonna _beat you. . ." _Lucas watched in horror as Flint reached to unbuckle his belt. . .

His father would have _never _done this. "No. . . Please Dad. . ! _No!" _Lucas wanted to run, run and get away from this threat, from his own _father_. His legs were heavy again. He dragged his feet back with all of his might, but it was not enough to escape the man. Flint got closer, and raised his hand over his head, tightly gripping the leather belt.

His pleading fell on deaf ears. The man's arm was about to come down on him. Lucas was helpless to do anything, not even defend himself. _I. . . I _need_ to be stronger. . . "_NO! Leave me _ALONE!"_ Lucas yelled as he closed his eyes. He extended his arms forward as if to push the empty space away. He felt the gathering of _force _in his hands and did not anticipate the shock wave that came from them. It erupted like a blast from a cannon, sending the man meters away, like launching a limp doll across the clearing. The motionless man lay on the ground, his limbs had become twisted with the landing. Lucas looked on in horror. _What have I done? _He looked down at his own hands. They were no longer covered in sap, but were now cloaked in _foreign power; _a cyan aura. His heart raced as he panicked, and frantically shook his hands to dispel the energy that seemed to cling onto them like a disease.

_What is this?! Where did it come from? Go away, go AWAY! I don't want it! _It did not disappear like he wished, it _could_ not. It only seemed to blaze more intensely. He did not want to accept that this _power_ was now a part of him and that no matter what he wanted or what he tried to do, there was no ridding himself of it. _There is something wrong with me. . ._

He heard movement ahead, the man he had tossed stirred. Lucas could not bring himself to look up. He would never forgive himself for what he had done to his father. But as he elevated his glance from the ground, he was perplexed at what he was witnessing.

The man's body now hovered in place, Lucas found nothing attached to him. His limbs began contorting, shifting, then transforming. While this happened, an ear-splitting cackle rebound against the trees, amplifying the sounds. The hysterical laughing consumed everything, penetrating Lucas to the core. He felt his very bones vibrate due to the strength of it all. The new "body" stopped moving and directed itself to Lucas as if to _face_ him. It opened one gleaming eye and the terrified boy saw a white "X" in the middle of the pupil. "You_—_you're _not _my dad!"

The largest smile with black lips appeared below the eye, revealing a set of large white teeth. The mouth opened once again, then closed. Open, close. Open, close. It repeated the process and with every subsequent motion, the mouth opened wider to the point where the jaw should have dislocated. It continued to cackle as it edged closer to the boy.

"Was it that obvious? I tried my best, I really did! I had you going for a while so my acting wasn't all that bad!" The Eerie Smile began giggling, its voice carrying an echo effect. "But now that you know, I have no choice but to take you with me. Oh this fills me with joy! I can't wait to bite down on that little neck of yours and hear it _snap!"_ It edged even closer. "Why don't you make it easier on both of us and just come here, I promise to end it quick. . . Heee, heee, heeeeee. . ."

The boy was immobile, petrified by the large starring eye, feeling that was seeing right through him. The white "X" flickered in place, almost hypnotically. He no longer wanted to look into the eye for fear of what it could do. He shook all over and squeaked, "N-n-no! D-don't hurt me, s-s-stay away. . ."

"Am I _that_ scary? Awwww, poor wittle Wucas can't take looking at a smile like me? It's so much for him that he is frozen with _fear?_ I guess I'll just come to you then, it's more fun that way."

"N-n-no, you can't be real, you only ever existed_—_"

"Oh but I _am _real, there's no doubt about that." _You're permitting this to be so._ _Hee, hee._

"_YOU'RE LYING!"_

Lucas had allowed the Smile to draw so near, it was but a foot away. He was on the ground, still unable to stand. In panic, he reached with his arm forward, trying to shove the being away. But his hand just went _through_ it, and by doing this, he had allowed the Eerie Smile to open its mouth_—_

And its incisors came down on his forearm.

Lucas turned pale, his heart sank and he stopped breathing. He was unable to feel pain in this moment and only looked in horror to his arm that was caught in between the set of teeth. The Eerie Smile's grin only grew.

And it pulled away from the boy.

Lucas expected to see blood, a lot of it. But there was none, just the absence of a limb. He wanted to scream, but his voice had left him. He only held onto his shoulder with the arm he still had and let his torn limb hang, unable to process the moment.

The Eerie Smile only cackled maniacally, backing away. _Your weak feeble mind is giving in, allowing me to further exist. All of that sorrow, all of that fear is building up and is allowing me to grow stronger with ever passing moment. As long as you are afraid, I will never vanish. I just have to keep expanding that delicious fear and I will exist permanently, free to consume all that I please, the doubts, the insecurities, let them grow! Grow to the point where they will never leave your mind! Until they define who you are!_

Lucas was stupefied, and only continued to think the same thought._ My arm. . . My arm. . . My arm is gone. . ._

The floating monster began feeding off of the negative emotions that emanated from the boy, feeling stronger, so it opened its gaping mouth again, any wider and its jaw would have fallen from its "hinges". Then it let out a tremendous scream. This scream was enough to blow out anyone's eardrums.

For Lucas, he was blown away, the sound wave pushed him to the trees, pinning him there and his ears were left ringing. The shriek had immobilized him further. He peaked through one eye. . . And the Smile had _vanished, _ leaving behind traces of its faint laughter hanging in the air. Lucas was breathing hard, but allowed himself to relax in this moment. It was gone, just like that. But where did it go? He shifted his eyes side-to-side, maybe it was gone for good. He sighed in relief.

But it was too soon to relax, for the apparition had appeared at his side, staring down at him with that hypnotic eye. Lucas wanted so badly to face away. All he could do was shut his eyes and empty his lungs, unable to hear his own scream.

"HAA, HAA, HAAAAA! Surprise! Did you really think I was done? I thought about it and I think I'll nip your fingers off _one by one_ instead of finishing you off in one bite. That would be too boring, wouldn't you agree Wuuucas?!" It talked so loudly, Lucas was able to hear it say this, albeit muffled. Then it vanished again. As it left, Lucas noticed the flutter of movement in the branches above. He got chills when he saw large spiders that began descending the branches, their webs leaving behind a gleaming trail. The team of Arachnids! began jumping around him, wrapping him tight in their sturdy webs. When they finished they crawled down and dispersed into the surrounding plants, leaving Lucas with little space to breathe.

The worst of it all was the suspense; not knowing when or where the Smile would appear next, or what it would do after. He did not know what to do as a wave of despair washed over him entirely. This Smile would slowly but surly eliminate him while in this condition. Even if by some miracle he was able to move, there was nothing he could do. His attack would just whiff, he already saw what happened when he tried shoving it away. If the opportunity somehow presented itself, he would run but even then, he doubted he could outrun the eerie creature seeing its ability to vanish and reappear. He forced his eyes open, seeking a glimpse of the _thing _that continued laughing from afar, that continued to _torment _him. What purpose did it have for doing this? It had the opportunity to end him now, but why had it not gone through with it?

_It's not just because its sadistic, it also needs me alive. Didn't it say it needs me to feel scared? But it didn't say this, it _thought_ this. How could I know it's thoughts? Wait a minute, _my thoughts! _My thoughts can influence things. But why? Since when have I had this ability? I guess it doesn't matter right now. Since I can't move, all I can do is _think. _I have to think as hard as I can to get out of this. Come on, think about what I want. Think about what is real and not real. . . And my arm is not missing, it's fine. _

He cautiously opened one eye and glanced down. . . To find his arm still there. He was not entirely sure that would have worked but seeing his thoughts had properly influenced this result, caused his glimmer of hope to spark brighter. _This is working. All I have to do is move. Come on, move! _He tried wiggling free of the webs, but they were too strong to budge and his mobility had not yet been restored completely, the last scream still rendering him immobile. _I can't keep being afraid._ _I. . . I _will _be stronger. . !_

And with this newfound force of will, Lucas broke free of the restraint, the webs shredding apart like an _illusion_ disappearing; they weren't real. He fell down, landing on his hands and knees. His legs were no longer as heavy as before so he could move them and stand, but his options were limited, and not to his liking. Was this a result of his own doubts he kept suppressing deep down?

_That thing can create illusions, first impersonating my dad, then my missing arm and the spiders. I need to get out of here before it makes me see something wor—_

"Yeeeee aaaahhhh! Not so fast _Lucasssss!"_ The Eerie Smile had appeared beside the blond, along with Lucas's loyal companion. "You can't leave your _dog_ here can you? He'll hate you for all time if you decide to abandon him. Why don't you come and get him? And look, he isn't feeling all too well." _Hee, heee, heeee. . ._

Boney stood beside the apparition and took a step forward, Lucas noticed his limp, his front paw lifted due to an unknown injury. Boney's whine carried the shrill tone of utter pain. Lucas could not _bare_ the sight and sound of his injured dog, even if he was most likely an illusion. _(Lucas, help!)_

He was forced to look away. "N-no, this isn't real. . . _You're not real!"_

_Your mind is giving in again. _"Are you sure about that? He looks really real to me."

He retained a level of uncertainty, he felt it deep down. Looking at this figure of Boney was like looking at the dog himself. In a way, he truly believed his dog was hurt, and the Smile was the one responsible.

_Too bad he saw through my first two tricks, so he won't fall for them again. I may not be able to hurt him physically, but no one said anything about him going on an emotional trip! Psychological damage is just as effective as physical damage, if not more. Especially to an already mentally weak teenager. Just the right amount of pain is all it takes. . ._

"Boney" began rising off the ground, being pulled by his scruff and bandanna as if by an invisible hand. He yelped as his injured leg began slowly bending more painfully, in the wrong direction. Lucas knew this was the Smile's doing, and he could not ignore the dog's agonizing cries. "S-stop, STOP! You're _hurting him!"_

_That's the point. _The Eerie Smile gave a jitter of its eye_—_

And the dog's leg snapped.

The high pitched yelps that followed tore at the boy's heart. "Leave him _alone! _Put him down, _please!"_ The young boy could no longer stand the pain that the Smile placed on his friend. His tears were now flowing down his face, his level of immense helplessness consumed him.

"Oh, you want me to _put him down?" _'Boney' froze, he no longer yelped, he no longer seemed to breathe. The Smile opened its eye wider, its pupil dilating, the "X" in the middle flickered one last time.

And the labrador's neck snapped.

The "body" hit the ground.

His legs gave away and he knelt on his knees once again, his face hung down in shadow. A soulless expression emerged and remained there, no longer able to react. Everything in that moment seemed to be flushed away, his energy, his will, his _love. . ._ All gone because he was unable to do anything to help his friend.

The Eerie Smile's deranged laughter rang out as the only sound. By this point, it was confident that its success was guaranteed. It only had to wait for devastation to hit the boy, then it would become _unbeatable. "_Oh you were too late to do anything! I told ya to save him, but too bad you _couldn't."_

He remained there, trying to assure himself, _This is not real. . . Not real. . . Not real. . ._

_But what if it is. . ? _Lucas stared at the lifeless body, until it began shifting, growing transparent, then vanishing. _It was never real._ Only a true form of evil would toy with his heart in such a way, and he knew what he needed do to it. This triggered something in his mind to snap, his fight response kicking in. _How could it do something so. . . so. . ._ He slowly looked up to face the Eerie Smile. . . If looks could kill. . .

_This. . . This is not the emotion I was expecting. . . _The apparition anticipated utter anguish to consume him, and realized its mistake too late. It began feeling the _opposite _of what it had hoped for. Dark thoughts from the once frightened boy now plagued him, and for it, signified one meaning, _suffer_. For the first time, the Smile was not smiling. _Maybe I went too far with that one, I think I broke the kid. Not in the way I wanted._

Lucas remained immobile, only looking to the Smile with his unwavering eye contact. In his mind, he gathered his thoughts, knowing that this was the only way to take it down. Soon that _mental power _would be his to bend, and enact on the apparition. _"You. . . you like making people be afraid and see things. . . Things that aren't real. . . Well I'll make __**you **__grow afraid. . . And make it so you can __**never **__see anything __**again**__. . ."_

The teen allowed one word escape his lips. "Push!" And the Smile was sent meters away, its inhuman form staggering.

_This wasn't suppose to happen! He was suppose to be _crushed!_ But somehow he—Wait. . . What is he doing?_

In a rush of energy, Lucas collected his feverish mental processes. _I am going to __**blind **__that __**eye**__. _A spark began, centered over his head, tiny fragments of light began appearing around him, all being drawn and focused to the same place. The fragments became _beams_ and grew larger. It had become a sphere of light, it seemed unstable. With one flicker, the light vanished as if the energy was lost and incomplete, unable to finish its charge.

_That's it? What was that suppose to be? _It smiled again in amusement.

With both hands pointed to his temples, Lucas thought of the suppressed ability he knew he always had. And released the energy.

"_PK. . . FLASH!" _

The spark from before reappeared, this time it had sustained itself to a new level of intensity. In a split second, the white and green energy filled the area with blinding light, consuming all in its vicinity. The Eerie Smile was caught in the flash, there was no way the shut of its eye would have blocked the intense rays. "AAAAHHHHH!" The boy saw as it shook itself as it recoiled in pain. It began crying uncontrollably the eye shut tight, tears splashing at its sides.

It continued to scream hysterically but this was a different scream, a scream of _pain, _a scream that Lucas _welcomed _ to his ears. The corner of his mouth twitched into a smile. _That's it. . . suffer. . .__** cry**__. How does it feel?_

"OH, my eye! What have you done to my _precious eye! _You. . . you little _monster!"_

Strange, the Slitherhen had called him the same. Funny that the creatures who were the obvious 'monsters' would be the ones to call him a_—_

The word enraged him further. He gathered more of the same PK energy, preparing another blast. "How _dare _you call me that!_ You _of all things should be called the monster! But even that is not enough to fully describe what you are. For a monster, you're _pathetic, _you're just a _parasite, _a thing that needs to cling onto another life just to sustain its miserable existence! You think that you can just come in here and do what you want? This is _my mind_ and I'm not about to let some _stupid grin _get away with _messing with it!"_

The Smile gave another chilling scream and began sobbing, the grin was no longer plastered on its face. Slowly, it grew quieter until the crying dwindled down into a muffle. It stopped. . . But just for a moment, its voice rising again. The cry shifted into a chuckle before bursting out into _laughter._

Lucas was sickened by its despicable behavior. "What the _hell _is so funny?"

With its tears still flowing from its shut eye, the Eerie Smile spoke. "Many words are subjective, and can be interpreted as one seems fit. Your appearance does not have to be hideous to be labeled a monster, behavior and actions contribute to it as well. And that's what you're afraid of, isn't it? I can feel the emotion rising within you. That fear is so distinct, the one of _doubt_. That _insecurity, _the one that tells me that you're afraid of _failure. _Failure to control those pitiful little lights you call _powers, _that you may use them to _harm _the same people you want to protect. You may no longer be afraid of me, but I have discovered who you truly fear. . . _Yourself!_ You don't want to become the _bad one, _the _real monster! _I find that you calling me this is quite hypocritical of you. You're right, I am a monster. . . Hee hee. But so are _you!"_

He froze, pausing the charging energy.

"YAH, HAAA HAA HA HA! Run everyone, hurry get out of here before Lucas the _Freaky Monster _comes to get you with his magic_—"_

"_Shut up, SHUT UP! I. . . I am not a MONSTER!"_

He rose his hands above his head, obtaining another tremendous and this time, _deadly_ level of PSI energy. With a mental wave, the light was released. _"PK __**FLASH!**__"_

As the light burst, the cackling of the Eerie Smile could still be heard. _Though I might have failed now, I'll return. You can never rid yourself of your own fear. . . _"WAH HAH HAAA HAAAaaaa. . . aaahhh. . . ah. . ." The light alone had been enough to obliterate the Smile, it quickly withered away as the millions of charged ions beamed their way through, fragments of the illusion were torn away bit by bit, until there was nothing left.

Once the light had ceased, so had the laughter. No traces of the apparition remained.

It was gone, for now. But its final words had not left the young boy as they still clung onto the surface of his subconscious. He briefly acknowledged them before pushing them away, focusing on the new realization. _I remember now, I'm psychic, always have been. _Though this memory returned to him, he still felt like he was forgetting something, something that was very important to know. Lucas leaned on his knees and shook his head, feeling a bit dazed. He was never usually affected by his own _PK Flash, _but that strike had been far greater than ones he had released before, causing him to feel the strength of it. He recovered, stood straight and turned to leave, still needing to move onward on his path. Before leaving the area he paused, feeling the urge to look back. What he saw shocked him, for he was staring at _nothing. _The trees, even the _ground _were gone, replaced by a dark void. He interpreted this as one thing, there was no turning back now. _Ugh, I'm so done with this dream. Why can't I wake up yet?_

He turned to continue, and was met with a round red mailbox. This had not been on the path before. He could not help but reach over to open it, but the lid flipped open by itself. A small strip of paper slipped out, the words on it seemed to shine as it sped through the air.

_[The boy named Lucas learned some bad magic. . .]_

The paper crumbled to ashes, without catching fire. Lucas walked over them, refusing to look back this time.

He proceeded on the trail. It was unique as it was lined with gravel, and a peculiar shaped stone leaned on the side of a tree. Looking ahead to where the trail lead, he saw that the source of light was much closer, he caught the beam through the many trees. The pressure in the air was dense, it pressed against him and he found difficulty breathing, and he also sensed the atmosphere was _charged _with something akin to electricity. He grew eager to meet up with his brother and began running as fast as he could. As he rushed along, Lucas was certain he had traversed a great length, but he was not any closer to his destination. Then he saw it again, the odd shaped stone and the familiar path of gravel. _Am I running in circles?_ He shut his eyes, resting his head on his hands and took a deep breath. He paused, thinking of what he could do. As he did, he heard an unfamiliar faint noise, a buzzing type of sound. _What is that? _This had peaked his curiosity, suddenly finding interest in the source of the sound. He took a right, squeezing through more plants. Only now, they no longer seemed like plants, being similar to green blobs, the images no longer being displayed properly by his mind.

The path was crammed, he pushed his way through the dark tunnel of shrubs, the sound growing louder. He caught a speck of light and walked to it with an outstretched hand. Lucas fell face first out of the tunnel into a new and much darker location. Except there was an object in the middle of this small clearing, the only source of light. He slowly opened his eyes and rubbed them using his forearm. First, all he caught was the fuzzy light, then he saw the rest.

The object rested on a tree stump, a square and pink colored object. At least he thought it was suppose to be pink, with the dark environment, it became a deep tone of mauve. The display on its monitor was fuzzy, thousands of tiny black, gray, and white dots moved erratically around the screen. It filled the area with a white noise, just a constant dull sound Lucas could not recall hearing.

The sound felt numbing, but captivating, oddly he felt drawn to it. He got up, keeping his gaze locked on. _What—what is this? _As he took a step forward, the dots stopped, the screen flickered, as if the channel had changed. In place of the white noise, were a series of flashing lights that transitioned slowly, the colors bright and pleasing to the eye. The object began making a wobbly type of sound, less erratic and more subdued. He stopped himself. _No, I can't stay here, the light. . . I have to get to the light, that's where Claus went. I can't get distracted. . . but this thing. . . it . . . makes me feel. . . _happy. . .

The monitor's light began fluctuating hypnotically as he slowly drew closer.

_. . . Lu. . ._

_I don't want to look away. . . _

_. . . Luca. . ._

_I want to stay here. I want to stay happy._

_. . . Luc. . . ap. . . ou. . . f. . . it. . ._

The faint voice was unable to reach the boy, lost under the sound emitted by the mysterious box. The channel flickered again, now displaying a new image. The setting was of puffy white clouds in a perfect blue sky, and rolling green hills. The hill that was further than the rest glimmered as if being occupied by tiny flecks of gold. A field of _sunflowers. _The longer he stared at the screen, the more it became less like a monitor and more like a _window. _A window that if he went through it, he would be welcomed into the field of beautiful flowers.

Lucas was now a foot away, his eyes glued to the monitor. If only he could just reach inside and pick some of those flowers for his mother. . . _Sunflowers are her favorite. . ._

_. . . LUCAS. . !_

Lucas stopped, his hand a centimeter from the monitor. He pulled back his hand, suddenly aware of the malevolence this object was emitting.

The box had not liked that he withdrew his hand. So it now displayed a distorted image of the beautiful flowers. Something had appeared over the golden plants then it shifted, revealing a set of eight legs. He saw a spider on the monitor, blocking his view of the flowers. Spiders were not suppose to be so big as to cover a great part of the monitor. Lucas, not being very fond of spiders, blew at it, hoping it would be sent away.

The spider did not like his attempt. It began crawling down the monitor and _over the hills. _Only now did Lucas realize the spider was not on the monitor but _in _the monitor. Lucas could not help but glance at it curiously at first, then quickly drew back as he got a closer look at what it was.

It was a mechanical spider, that seemed to be carrying something inside its abdomen. The screen began filling with a series of text, blocking his sight of the spider:

_The boy named Lucas. . ._

_The boy named Lucas. . ._

_The boy named Lucas. . ._

_The boy named Lucas. . ._

_The boy named Lucas. . ._

He drew away from the constant text, it had caused his vision to blur and he blinked several times to clear it away. Then he thought he heard something, a voice he had hatred towards but most of all, had grown _afraid_ of it.

_Spa. . . ty. . . Spank. . . y . . . SPANKETY! _

Lucas bolted up when he finally saw past the text to _who_ was inside. It was _Him, _and he was approaching fast, coming for the boy. The spider quickly grew in size as it drew closer. Lucas turned back to the hedge where he had entered and found it to be sealed. He frantically searched for another exit. And in doing so, had lead his eyes back to the screen and now saw a large pointed metal _leg _belonging to the mechanical spider. With the sharpened tip, it tapped against the screen before it fiercely brought it against the monitor cracking the glass, shards clinked together as they fell. It had punctured through. The text continued to reappear, line after line, even after the screen had cracked.

Fear had immobilized him after he realized there was nothing he could do, and had no where to run or hide.

_. . . I have to wake up. . . This is just a dream. . . _

The leg slipped through, and was heavily brought down to the ground, gripping the soil and tearing away the grass.

_. . . You're dreaming Lucas. . ._

Another leg made its way into the forest floor outside of the world of the monitor. It began to pull the front of the abdomen, which encased_—_

_Wake up. . ! Wake up, wake up, wake up, wake UP, WAKE UP, WAKE UP, WAKE UP, WAKE—_

* * *

He felt his mind rise, as if it was pulled upward, lifting him away from the subconscious mayhem, where he had been struggling moments before. Then he found he had regained consciousness. First it was the ringing in his ears and the loud pounding that consumed his head, his heartbeat sounding throughout his body. Then it was the realization that he couldn't move. In panic, he briefly imagined that a fragment of his dream had followed through and taken a hold of him, trying to pull him back into sleep. But the grasp was withdrawn, no longer having the strength necessary to keep him down. As hard as he tried, he could not open his eyes or move any other muscle. He then understood this was a state of sleep paralysis, his body would not succumb to his wish just yet.

His eyes shot open, his body trembling, he finally felt the hard cold floor against his face. His nose throbbed painfully, it must have been the first thing that came into contact with the floor when he fell. As much as he wanted to get up, his body would not respond. But his _mind_ would. _Rise _he thought. Nothing of the sort happened. Right, his psychic powers did not work that way here in the real world. So he opted to using telekinesis, the waves of his mind lifted his body, allowing him up on his knees. After a few seconds, he regained mobility and got up slowly, using the edge of his bed for support.

He sat down on the semi-warm sheets, his eyes shut, searching the room for two other minds in particular. Boney's mind was still asleep and his father's— was there too, it calmed him to know they were both fine. His mind shifted over to the dream. He remembered it, this time in detail. He skimmed over it, trying to review the events before he forgot them. He used few words, just to serve as triggers in his memory: _Forest, Light, Snake, Smile, Box. . . The Box. . . _He got chills. He did not want to think about the end.

Many of its parts had been disturbing, and other than the Spider, none of the other parts compared to what troubled him the most. It remained unresolved and he never satisfied the desire to see it through. _I never found Claus._ His brother. . . His brother had been gone for a long time. He hung his head, an aching feeling settled in his heart, he just missed him so much. But it had felt good to spend time with him, even if it was in the form of a dream.. . . But this dream, had felt so _real. . ._ His interaction with him, and the _voice _he heard towards the end. The one that snapped him out from the hypnotic state that the _Happy Box _had put him under. He knew it was his brother's voice, but then again, it could have been his own, they were twins of course so this was most likely what it was.

At least this time, waking up from it did not leave a sick feeling in his stomach. But he still felt dazed so he lied down on his side, resting his head. Now what to do, it would be difficult to go back to sleep, so he let his thoughts wander.

Lucas found himself getting up involuntarily and dug under his bed, until he felt the familiar cold steel of the tube. He wrapped his finger around it anxiously, pulled it out and quietly walked over to the dining table.

He sat and raised the fire within the lamp. He looked back to assure his father was still asleep, then lifted the lid and pulled the rolled envelope out, it lied flat on the table. The wax seal had been broken hours ago, so he lifted the top of the envelope, revealing the letter from within. He unfolded it with the urge of reading it again, just to make sure this had not been part of his dream. The paper was of the highest quality, the borders felt fancy to him, and the print was perfect, artificial writing at its finest. His eyes met the top of the paper and he began to read:

_From the Headquarters of the SSBB Tournament_

_Esteemed Lucas of Tazmily:_

_First and foremost, I would like to express the following:_

_Your deeds have not gone unnoticed and I have recently become acquainted with your outstanding accomplishments in the Nowhere Islands, and would like to properly thank and congratulate you on one of the most selfless actions I have ever had the pleasure of seeing. Though I am but one of the many that know of your deeds, you have my deepest gratitude, and I speak for many who are unable to send their sentiment. Please accept our thanks._

_This message is to inform you of a tournament that will be taking place a month from the day you receive this letter. The Third installment of the **Super Smash Brothers** tournament, or as we have dubbed it, **The Brawl**, is a tournament in which many brave heroes of their respectable worlds come together in the friendly sport of competing to test their skills and push abilities to their limits, also developing new traits along the way. It also serves as a place of celebration, awarding these heroes for their contributions. I would like to add that you Lucas, have demonstrated your incredible powers and valiance, proving you are one of these said heroes._

_After considering your inclusion into this tournament, it is with great pleasure to confirm that you are welcomed into our organization, and this letter serves as a personal invitation. I ask highly of you to attend, as it would provide beneficial in the eyes of the spectators throughout our many universes._

_If you accept, please just simply sign your name on the appropriate dotted line below. This way you will be enrolled for a small private interview. I am sure you have many questions so this interview will also include a session where I will be happy to provide answers to any questions you may have and address other topics that cannot be expressed in letter format. Just remember to sign your name on either line within two weeks from when you receive this letter, even if you deny, sign appropriately to confirm that you have read this message. There is no need to send the response back. _

_If you remain uncertain about joining, please do not be alarmed, the decision you make now is not final, and you may withdraw at any point before the opening of The Brawl event. Just know that if you remain for the duration of the event, you will be compensated for your troubles._

_This letter is not to be disregarded as it concerns events of the utmost importance._

_I will be awaiting your decision._

_Master H._

A scraping noise startled him, so he quickly folded the letter to conceal it from possible wandering eyes. He looked up to find Boney scratching at the door, his reading had captured his focus so well, he did not notice. Lucas sent a mental _Shh _his way and Boney placed his paw down. He then waved a finger and the door unlocked quietly, allowing Boney to slip through the opening, leaving the door ajar.

He looked back to the piece of paper. He had read this letter over and over, easily more than a dozen times. He thought about the idea of it all. _A fighting tournament that serves as a celebration for heroes. . . They called me a hero. . ._

He glanced below to the dotted lines and read the text:

_I accept to be enrolled for the interview. . . _

_I do not accept and wish to be dropped from the tournament. . ._

He thought about the two options given to him. He could not decide now, it was not the time for it, he should have been in bed. At least he had two weeks to make up his mind. But he already had a side he was leaning more towards. . .

The door opened again, Boney returning from outside. Trails of cold air had followed him so Lucas quickly locked the door behind him with a flick of his finger. The dog had come back with a familiar stick in his mouth. Lucas thanked him for returning it.

He heard Flint shift in his sleep, and decided it was time to get back into bed. He returned the envelope to its place, lowered the flame, and walked back to his bed as quietly as he could. The pants of his pajamas were too long and hung below his ankles. He briefly slipped on this fabric, what a bad moment for his clumsiness to show.

The boy took both items, his stick and the tube, and slipped them back underneath his bed, not wanting to further think about the contents of the letter. He would worry about that in the morning. He watched Boney curl on the rug and lie down. Before climbing into the sheets, he fixed his pillow in place, then looked over the second pillow. With a downcast look, he fixed this pillow as well, until it was perfectly aligned with the bed. Lucas remained on his side of the bed as he closed his eyes, hoping he would be allowed to rest easily this time.


End file.
